Consumer Encyclopedia
Work-from-home offers
The Internet, cell phones and other technology make it easier for people to make money working from the comfort of their own home. While there are plenty of legitimate work-from-home opportunities, there are also plenty of scams hoping to take advantage of consumers' eagerness to earn extra income.
Browsing employment ads online or in a newspaper, you may find claims that you can make money from home as a secret shopper, HUD tracer, envelope stuffer or another role.
As with any time you're going to do business with a company, whether as a customer or employee, check it out first. You can check the Know MO feature on our Web site or research the company on the Internet.
You should beware of any work-from-home opportunity that:
- Asks you to pay a fee. You should never have to pay to get a job.
- Comes to you unsolicited, in the mail, e-mail or by phone.
- Sounds too good to be true. Many offers will claim you can easily make hundreds of dollars with little effort. As with most jobs, making money requires work.
