by Cheryl Gregory

Created on: December 28, 2007   Last Updated: August 31, 2009

Work at home opportunities are becoming more and more prevalent these days. You will see ads in your local newspaper and all over the Internet that seem extremely enticing. Some of them boast that you will make thousands of dollars every day with just an hour or two of working time. If you examine these jobs, you will find out that most of them require a payment to get started. That should be your first red flag.

If you see an ad that promises a lot of money with a little work, it is more than likely a fraud. Nothing comes that easy. If they ask you to send money in to get started, do not fall into their trap. When you have to pay registration fees or purchase something up front to get started, you should write that opportunity off as a fake work at home opportunity. If they manage to persuade you that it is real, and you send in the requested funds to get started, you will find that there are no more emails from this so-called illustrious business, or they will tell you that they have gone out of business. You will be another victim that fell for his or her scam, hook, line, and sinker.

The ads that say they will pay you for clicking on links are one of the biggest scams out there. First, you have to click on many different ads, and you get paid pennies for each one of them. You may think that this will add up to big bucks, but you are taking a enormous gamble with your computer. Viruses abound all over the Internet, so this could be an expensive work at home job. Furthermore, you could sit in front of your computer all day for months and not make enough money to pay, even, one of your bills.

There are many, legitimate work at home jobs that will support you. I know this because I work at home and have for nearly five years, and I make a decent living. My job requires the same amount of work, if not more, than any brick and mortar job. I am required to be on time, and produce a sufficient amount of work for the money I make. In fact, when you work at home, you have to, continuously, strive to do the best job possible, just like any other "real" job.

My advice is straightforward. Be very skeptical when you see an ad posting a work at home position. Make sure there is a very detailed and informative website on the company. Call the phone numbers that are listed, and if you do not see any phone numbers, skip this ad because it is probably a fake. A genuine company that is proud of the services they offer will not have any problem giving you upfront information about the company and the tasks involved with this job. Most importantly, never fall for a scam that asks you to send money in to get started.

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