Part Time Work from Home Scams

Here is an examination of part time work from home scams. I'm not suggesting any of these as meaningful ways to make money. I just think you need to be aware of them because you're likely to run into them on a regular basis.

I'm seeing a lot of ads in the local trader for work from home opportunities that include assembling packages to mail. Some are stuffing envelopes and some speak about processing brochures. There is a claim by one company of $5 per envelope processed.

That seems like a lot of money to pay someone to put stuff in an envelope, but this is the promise, so I requested information packages from several companies, and here is what I think of it.

It's a scam.

What I got back was a cleverly written offer to put me in business for myself as an independent mail processor. My job would be to "...secure, process and mail envelopes...." They promise to send you all the instructions you'll need.

Well, why didn't they send me more detailed instructions when I first asked for them? Instead, they asked me to send them a fee.

I've done a little research on this, and it's clearly a scam. It appears as though you have to keep investing in this "program" in order to keep "securing" more money making opportunities, and then you become a perpetrator of the scam as well. Here is what I found at the Better Business Bureau in Florida (my emphasis):

"While ads claim high earnings and short hours with little or no experience, Bureau files nationwide indicate no evidence of anyone making the promised money. Rarely, if ever, are these ads an offer of legitimate employment. Generally, these "jobs" require up-front fees for information or supplies, and only the person who ran the ad makes any money. You should be aware that the United States Postal Inspectors regularly investigate these fraudulent schemes, and that you risk investigation and possible prosecution by postal or other law enforcement agencies if you become involved in one of these schemes."

They rate one of these many "companies" with an F. That is as low as they go.

So, part time work from home scams like this really aren't work and they aren't opportunities, except if you're the one running the scam.

How about those government jobs you see advertised as part time work from home opportunities? Well, I called the ad in the paper and they explained that they have a long list of entry level and advanced level work paying between $12 and $48 per hour. They acknowledged that the pay is more likely to be $18 to $24 per hour.

These work from home opportunities require a computer and knowledge of basic software. They didn't mention access to the Internet, but I assume that's required as well.

According to the private firm that recruits for the government, there are 50,000 openings and the government doesn't advertise many of these jobs since 9/11 because of the concern about terrorists. This sounds fishy to me.

Lo and behold, the Better Business Bureau rates this company a solid "F" for their shady business practices, or the generally shady business practices associated with their sector of the business world.

The whole idea of paying some sort of a fee up front for the opportunity to interview for a part time work from home job is...a scam. If you're looking for government jobs, get plugged into government human resources through http://www.google.com/unclesam and you can ignore the scams advertised in the newspapers.

Done with Part Time Work from Home Scams, back to Making Money