“Be part of the
Fastest Growing Industries!
Earn thousand every month - from the comfort of home - Processing Medical Billing Claims.”

Does the above ad look familiar? You can usually find these kinds of ads anywhere, from the
bulletin board at your local university to the telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper, not to mention all over the web. While these ads may
be somewhat appealing, especially if you need money, proceed with
caution. Most work-at-home opportunities fail to deliver on their promises.

Many of these work at home ads make it seem like you will be able to instantly and easily start making good money easily, but they usually omit the simple truth that to make any money at all, you will probably have to work many hours without pay. Another catch is that they usually don’t disclose all the upfront costs that you will have to pay before ever having a chance to make any money back. Many work-at-home schemes require you to pay money out of your own pocket expensive advertising and supplies you need to start the job. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Learn to Recognize the Classic Work-at-Home Schemes

Here are a couple of work-at-home schemes to watch out for.

Medical Billing Work at Home Scams.
You may have seen ads for Medical Billing work in the classifieds section of your newspaper or online. The ad will usuall say that the medical field is desperate for medical billing help because of the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is to process claims electronically. When in actuality, the medical billing market is saturated and the competition is fierce. The business usually goes to a number of large and well-established firms.

Very few people who get into the medical billing business are ever able to find clients, and usually loose all the money that they paid upfront.

Envelope Stuffing Work at Home Scams.

Envelope Stuffing ads usually promise easy money for simply stuffing envelopes, but according to Howard Beales, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, “Stuffing is fine for turkeys and stockings, but envelope-stuffing scams deserve a lump of coal.”

Assembly Work at Home Scams

“Assembly Work” scams will usually either require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment and supplies, and or work many hours of your time manufacturing and assembling goods with the expectation that you will be paid, and when the time comes for you to be paid, the company will then refuse to pay for your work because it doesn’t meet their “quality standards.” In reality, the victems work is never “Up to Standard”, and this is how these fraudulent companies make their money. Or you may be left to sell your crafts on your own.

Avoiding these Scams
The 2 main questions to ask when you come across ANY work-at-home offer are:

1. Do I have to pay anything up front?
2. Are the terms of the work from home offer hidden or kept secret until you call or go to a 2nd step?
If the answere to either of the above questions is yes, then proceed with caution. It very well could be a scam.

You can also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if the company is reputable and legitamate.

What to do if you’ve been Scammed
If you believe you have been scammed by a work-at-home, or believe the company to be dishonest or shady, you should first contact the company and ask for a full refund. Make sure to let them know that you plan to report them to the authorities if they give you a hard time. If they still won’t help you, report them immediately to the Federal Trade Commission or to the Better Business Bureau.