Work-at-home scams are fraudulent activities that take advantage of housewives, the unemployed, the underemployed, and those who dream of making money from the comforts of their own home. Also targets of work-at-home scams are employed individuals who want to quit their job to be their own boss, or those lazy people who think they can get rich without leaving the house.
In this age of the Internet, work-at-home scammers find their victims most of the time through email spam, promising you riches and money working from home. In the old days, work-at-home scammers do their business through postal mail, or by advertising in newspapers or billboards. But now, they get a wider reach through the Internet.
They have also invaded blogs, and now you see scam blogs trying to convince their victims to sign up for newsletters or scam sites, promising to reveal “secrets” of getting rich quick using the Internet from your home. Once the victims give their email address, they begin to receive spam email encouraging them to buy products or services that will supposedly make them money.
There are even work-at-home scams spreading through MySpace, Friendster and Yahoo Groups — targetting young people who are gullible enough to think that they can make a living without working hard, that they can make money just sitting in front of the computer, which is a lot of bull.
In the Philippines where the unemployment and underemployment rates are high, people with Internet access are specially vulnerable to work-at-home scams and other schemes that try to convince people that they can make money without leaving the house and looking for a job outside. Scammers claim they make money, and promise to teach victims how to make money — without telling the truth that they make money by taking advantage of other people.
In the United States, most vulnerable are senior citizens, the disabled, stay-at-home moms and young people who don’t want to find a real job. In fact, the US Federal Trade Commission says “not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.”
Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don’t disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or “tutorial” software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.
The supposed benefits are tempting — you make money without having to commute, getting dressed for work, dealing with co-workers or a boss. Given the choice between making money from home and making money from hard work outside, who wouldn’t choose the former?
The Better Business Bureau says:
With the rise of the Internet and e-mail, getting a phony ad or message out to a vast audience is cheap and easy. Even though the old work-at-home scams have taken on a modern twist, the typical profile of victims who are most susceptible to these scams has changed very little. Work-at-home con artists have always preyed most heavily upon senior citizens, the disabled, mothers who want to stay at home with their children, people with low income and few job skills, and people who just want to get rich quick.
According ScamBusters, “home-based business and work-at-home opportunity scams rank very high on the list of the top types of Internet fraud.”
“These scammers are often preying primarily on the sick, the disabled, the elderly, the unemployed, parents, and people without a lot of money.”
How to avoid getting scammed by” get-rich-quick-working-from-home” schemes
There are numerous resources that can help you spot scams and getting back at the scammers.
1. Fraud.org: Tips for Avoiding Work-at-Home Scams, from the Internet Fraud Watch
2. ScamBusters: Top 10 Work At Home and Home Based Business Scams
3. US Postal Service: Work-at-Home Scams: They Just Don’t Pay - “Want an easy way to earn extra money from the comfort of your own home? You’re not alone. Working at home has become increasingly attractive. Unfortunately, as the number of jobs grows in response to public interest, so have bogus job offers.”
4. Military.com: Work-at-Home Scams - Seven Signs of Scams
5. CNN - CareerBuilder.com: Too good to be true? - “Lured by convenience and seemingly easy money, more and more people are falling prey to job scams. Particularly vulnerable are people who want or need to work from home and those who are looking supplement their income. Those who fall victim can suffer serious consequences including debt collection and criminal charges.”
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