Work-at-home scams

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Donna Childs: Work-at-home schemes may be just that

By Donna Childs

Better Business Bureau

Work-at-home schemes just won't go away. In fact, they're getting clever in their tactics to lure you into believing you can make hundreds of dollars without leaving your home.

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For that reason, the Better Business Bureau wants to keep you up-to-date on the latest methods to prevent you from becoming a victim.

Con artists are now using the World Wide Web to reach a new audience.

Online users need to be careful when browsing the Internet or reading an e-mail. If an ad seems too good to be true, it probably is. Talented individuals can use a Web page or an e-mail message to make an offer that looks very legitimate, but just because it looks good is no reason to believe it is.

Many questionable work-at-home offers are being found on reputable Internet job search Web sites such as Monster or HotJobs. You may think they're legitimate because of the site that's posting them, but they're not.

Your best bet is to ignore them and continue on with your search.

Along with the new ways of reaching you, come new offers. Here are some of the more popular scams:

•Mystery Shopping — Shop for merchandise, file a report on your experience and earn cash.

For $20 or $30, a company will send you a list of companies that may be hiring mystery shoppers. Many times, it turns out those companies aren't actually hiring anyone.

•Chain Letters — Mail or e-mail copies of a letter to a list of names and addresses provided by the company for a fee.

You're instructed to send money to the person at the top of the list, remove that name from the list, and add your own name to the bottom of the list. By the time your name reaches the top of the list, you'll receive lots of cash. These companies make promises of big money and are only out to get yours.

•Multi-Level Marketing — Illegitimate pyramid schemes that focus more on recruiting others than selling products.

The cons simply use money coming in from new recruits to pay off early stage investors.

Without the sale of products, the system gets saturated with new people, and the pyramid collapses leaving the bottom investors with nothing.

To avoid falling for work-at-home scams, both on and offline, look for the following warning signs:

•Exaggerated claims of potential earnings or profit.

•Requirements of money for instructions or products before telling you the details of the plan.

•Claims that no experience is necessary.

Not all work-at-home programs are schemes.

If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. Check out the company by calling the Better Business Bureau first.

Donna Childs is the president and CEO of the Dayton Better Business Bureau.Amy Swinderman Live aloha!

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