Too Good to be True Home Based Business Opportunity

A Home Business Article Contributed by Alyssa Yerga

Home Based Business Opportunity or Scam?

How many times have you read about a great home based business opportunity in the classifieds? They're the ads promising hundreds of dollars a week for little or no work. And that's about all they say. Then they give you a phone number, sometimes long distance, and wait for you to call. Have you ever been tempted to call, whether out of curiosity or desperation? Before you do, check it out. There are thousands of scam artists preying on people who not only need money, but need to earn it from home.

What's Your Definition of Home Based Business Opportunity?

Any business will have start up fees. But with scam businesses you don't know exactly what you're getting for those fees. And even though most ads offer some sort of guaranty there's no guaranty they'll honor their their own guaranty.

One of the most popular scams is the envelope stuffing job, and requires you to send anywhere from $20 to $100 (maybe more) for a kit. Logically, you'd think the company would send you pre-paid, pre-labeled envelopes and flyers to stuff in the envelopes. Instead, in many cases, they basically send you information about how to get other people to send you money for a kit. If having to trick fellow human beings into sending you money isn't bad enough, you often have to spend hundreds of dollars in advertising to do it.

The home assembly scam seems to be just as popular, but is run a bit differently. After you send your money to them, they send you a kit, usually making some kind of craft. You do the painstaking work and send it back to them. They tell you it isn't good enough and they aren't paying you. That's when you attempt to bring up the guaranty, only to find out it's for 50% of the reusable supplies. And guess what. After you've assembled the pieces, they aren't reusable.

Some scam artists offer to sell you a book that has hundreds of companies looking for home workers. Of course, many of the companies don't exist. And the ones that are for real are usually working some kind of scam.

And this isn't the only way these and other schemes can be carried out. For every scam, there are probably dozens of ways to dupe people into believing it. Don't be one of them.

Is There a Legitimate Home Based Business Opportunity out There?

Yes, but you probably have to create that home based business opportunity yourself. As far as relying on a faceless company thousands of miles away, you're taking your chances. Remember, if you come across an ad promising hundreds of dollars a week for a few hours work ask yourself some questions.

If it's such a great deal why hasn't anyone you know tried to get you involved?

Why would a company want to ship envelopes or supplies across the country (or world) when they could probably get people in close proximity to do it?

Why would a company pay hundreds of people hundreds of dollars to stuff envelopes when there are machines that can do that?

The list of questions goes on.

With a little precaution, you'll be able to avoid falling into the hands of scam artists and find a home based business opportunity that is right for you.