| With the advent of the internet came scores of | | | | never actually gives any information and a large phone |
| people looking to come up with the next great idea so | | | | bill with an expensive charge for the call. This company |
| they too could cash in on the never ending | | | | makes their money from charging people for the |
| opportunities now available from the comfort of their | | | | informational call. |
| own home. Unfortunately, with these honest, | | | | It is easy to fall prey to this last opportunity and many |
| hardworking individuals came people promising the | | | | have done so. An ad is placed that offers a large list |
| world for just a few of your hard earned dollars. And | | | | of companies looking for people to work from home. It |
| if everyone would only listen to the old saying "You | | | | seems like an excellent opportunity to have your |
| can't get something for nothing", we would continue | | | | choice of who you work for and what type of job you |
| past these scams and actually find the legitimate | | | | do. Every stay-at-home mom's, entrepreneur's, and |
| opportunities. However, with that being said, knowledge | | | | college student's dream, right? You pay the money |
| about home based business scams is so readily | | | | and eagerly await the arrival of your list. You begin to |
| available on the internet, scam artists are having to | | | | call the companies on the list and inquire about home |
| come up with new and different ways to take your | | | | based job opportunities. You will find one of two things |
| money and give you nothing in return. It has left many | | | | about these companies. They have either never used |
| people asking "Do real opportunities actually exist"? | | | | home workers or no longer use them. You have just |
| The most common home based business scams still | | | | paid a significant amount of money for a list that is |
| continue to be envelope stuffing, craft assembly, and | | | | completely useless. |
| medical billing. These were discussed in a previous | | | | This article was not meant to sway a potential |
| article and will not be touched on again. As stated prior, | | | | entrepreneur away from starting their own home |
| new scams are making their way onto the internet | | | | based business. Real opportunities do exist, but it can |
| and those who do not do sufficient research are | | | | be difficult to simply look at an advertisement and |
| becoming victims of the newest get rich quick | | | | decide whether or not it is legitimate. It has become |
| schemes. As less and less people fall for envelope | | | | imperative that a person do their due diligence prior to |
| stuffing and similar opportunities, scammers have | | | | giving money to anyone for a business opportunity. It |
| come up with home reshipping, outdated lists, and 900 | | | | would not be possible for everyone to be satisfied |
| number scams. | | | | with every opportunity so do not let a few complaints |
| Home reshipping promises great rewards for very little | | | | sway you, but beware of an endless amount of |
| effort, but can actually cost a naïve entrepreneur | | | | complaints about one company. If you see many |
| a hefty amount of money. If you choose to become | | | | people complaining about it being a scam, you may |
| involved in this opportunity, you are instructed to | | | | want to look into something else. |
| receive merchandise, repackage and reship it to an | | | | Aside from doing online research, there are a couple |
| address that is generally outside of the United States. | | | | of other ways to protect yourself when you are |
| For your part, you are paid with a third party check for | | | | considering an opportunity. Using a credit card to make |
| more than the amount that you are owed. You must | | | | a purchase can allow for a dispute if you never |
| then deposit the check into your account and transfer | | | | receive the promised items. Also, ask the company for |
| the overpayment amount to a foreign bank account. | | | | references. A legitimate, real home based business |
| Unfortunately, the merchandise was purchased with | | | | should be happy to give you the names and phone |
| stolen credit cards and the check is fraudulent. You will | | | | numbers of satisfied customers. Lastly, beware of any |
| be out the money that you were promised and you | | | | business that puts a time limit on how long you have to |
| are now required by your bank to pay the amount of | | | | join their company. That's not to say if a company |
| the fraudulent check. | | | | offers you a discount to join by midnight you should run |
| The majority of people have, at one time or another, | | | | in the other direction. This is a very common sales |
| received a chain letter requesting the person forward it | | | | tactic. However, if a person tells you that the |
| to everyone in their mailbox. If you do, you are often | | | | opportunity will no longer be available if you do not join |
| promised good luck or a similar prize. You are most | | | | immediately, you should probably steer clear. |
| likely very familiar with these. However, some | | | | In the end, finding a real home based business |
| scammers, in order to get advertisements out to as | | | | opportunity comes down to common sense. Be |
| many people as possible, promise money to those that | | | | realistic with your financial goals and ask yourself if the |
| forward their materials. Unfortunately, after forwarding | | | | opportunity makes sense. Let's be honest. What are |
| multiple advertisements to their friends and family | | | | the chances that a business would pay someone $2 |
| members (probably irritating them in the process) no | | | | per envelope that is stuffed? This would have you |
| money is ever received. Yet another scam. | | | | earning as much as a well paid attorney for a job that |
| Unfortunately, these final two scams do not even give | | | | a business could easily pay minimum wage. Dreams of |
| a person a chance to research a specific opportunity | | | | grandeur often cloud a person's judgment. While it is |
| prior to paying money. In the first scam, a person is | | | | important for an entrepreneur to have high financial |
| asked to call a 900 number in order to find out more | | | | goals, it is equally important to take calculated risks as |
| information about a possible home based business | | | | opposed to uninformed ones. |
| opportunity. What they receive is a recording that | | | | |