by Sergris
Although there are some legitimate business opportunities to make money online, most of them are scams. All over the Internet and in your e-mail you see plenty of appealing ads promising that you can make thousands of dollars a month. However, the only ones pocketing large amounts of money are the scammers placing the ads.

When you fall prey to these con artists you not only loose your hard earned money, but also valuable time and effort and might even give up the idea of finding a legitimate income opportunity.

These are the most common work at home scams:

Envelope Stuffing - Instead of receiving the expected envelopes, you get promotional material asking you for cash to send you details on money-making plans. These plans usually include instructions asking you to place the same ad in newspapers or magazines. You must constantly recruit other people doing and offering the same plan.

Assembly or Craft Work - You have to pay hundreds of dollars for instructions and materials and many hours of work assembling toys, or crafts for a company that has promised you to buy them. However the company decides not to pay you because your work is not “up to their standards”. Now you’re left with merchandise you can’t sell. The company makes money selling you the starter kit, not selling the assembled items.

Online Home Business - This is one of the top rip-offs on the Internet. You send money in exchange for information about starting a home business. They promise to provide you with all the training and materials you need. Instead, you get a useless guide about data entry, word processing or other related work. Sometimes the company sends you a disk with free government web sites or other home business opportunities that require more money.

Medical Billing Service - You invest from $2,000 to $8,000 for everything you need to start your business. They promise you medical billing software and a list of potential clients in your area. However the software you receive is just a variety of forms and collection letters that anyone could create. The list of companies they send you are not clients but names and addresses from a phone book.

These scams take advantage of your desire to earn a good income, get rid of your boss, set your own working hours, etc. Nevertheless, you must use your common sense and remember “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. Always verify the legitimacy of the company you’re considering by searching the Better Business Bureau’s site or other Consumer Protection sites.

Sergio Ferreira has been writing articles related to family issues and home business for 10 years. His web site provides information on how to avoid scams, how to choose the best legitimate business opportunity, articles and resources to help others succeed in their home business. Please visit: http://www.legitimate-home-based-businesses.net

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