Beware of Work at Home Offers

A Home Business Article Contributed by Sarah Abenaim

Beware of Ads That Boast "Work at Home."

Many of these job ads that claim "work at home, " are scams that ask you to invest money to receive an information packet. There are several ways for companies to draw you in and charge you money when no business opportunity is really available for you.

Stuffing Envelopes at Home.

This is a commonly seen ad, in which a company will promise to pay you $4000 a week doing this, at a rate of $4 per envelope you stuff, and they will pay you in advance. They promise to provide you with stamps and all materials you need. Logically this system does not make sense because how will the company know that you are actually stuffing the envelopes and mailing them, and not just throwing out the whole box and pocketing the money?

Do they put a tracking device on each envelope to check it out? NO! Furthermore, if you could only stuff 20 envelopes per hour (which is very slow), you'd be earning a salary of $80 per hour! Doesn't it make more sense for a company to hire someone and pay at an hourly wage, maybe like $8 an hour?

The Catch on Working at Home Gimmicks

Sometimes these companies will explicitly state that you need to hurry and apply to work for them quickly because positions are limited. You must therefore immediately send in your fee to receive the first batch of supplies and instructions, to which they will shortly thereafter tell you that there are no jobs left. In the end, you are left without the job, and with less money than before.

Other Home Based Jobs

I have also seen ads for assembling products at home, such as dream catchers or refrigerator magnets. Companies boast that they will pay you an exorbitant amount for each one you assemble according to their standards. That's the key- they can at any point claim that you have not met their standards and reject your efforts. Logically, this type of employment does not make sense as well. At what price could a manufacturer sell a refrigerator magnet? Certainly not more than what they supposedly offer the home based assemblers!

The Trick on This Work at Home Scandal

I have seen reports from innocent people looking for a little home-based work that fell for this one. They often say they were required to pay a fee to receive their supplies for the first trial of product assembly. They have claimed that the directions were unclear and difficult to understand, and customer service suggested that they photocopy the directions and enlarge them. After submitting the product, the company then claimed the assembly did not meet their standards, and therefore they couldn't hire those individuals. Another classic example of a work from home scam.

Let the "Work at Home" Seeker Beware

If you see an ad offering an amazing salary for an opportunity to work from home, thoroughly research the company. Call them up. If no method of contact is available, that is indicative of perhaps something phony. Be careful in your search to work from home. Lots of luck.