I can’t believe it is November! The Holiday Toy catalog has already arrived in the mail, and my kids have marked the toys they want. While the upcoming holidays should be about peace, love, family and faith, for many of us they end up being about stress. In these economic times, the stress is tied to money—not having enough of it. So while I could blog about how to focus on what’s important and ways to minimize attachment to material things (maybe I’ll do that another day), today I’m going to blog about ways to avoid falling for scams that promise easy money.
As the holidays approach, many moms are looking for ways to make extra cash. There are legitimate work-at-home jobs out there, but there are also plenty of work-at-home scams trying to get your money.
Last week, the Better Business Bureau announced that it had received more than 1,500 complaints about several dozen Web sites that are trading on the Google name to scam people who want to learn about making money from home. According to the BBB, two Web sites, Google Treasure Chest and Google Money Tree, quickly racked up 523 and 782 BBB complaints, respectively, before being called out by the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General for misleading consumers. The Web sites have been taken down. However, BBB has received complaints about many other work-at-home schemes using similar tactics.
Before signing up for any
work-at-home opportunity, I want to pass along these tips from the BBB and National
Consumers League’s
· Do your homework. Research the company. Check with the BBB or your local Attorney General’s office to see if there have been complaints or concerns you need to consider.
· Know the refund policy. If you have to buy equipment or supplies, ask whether and under what circumstances you can return them for a refund.
· Don’t fall for offers that guarantee easy money for little effort and no experience.
· Be wary of work-at-home offers that use logos from Google, Twitter or other prominent online businesses. Just because Google is in the name, it does not mean the business is affiliated with Google.
· Research the Web site with Whois.net or a similar site for determining domain name ownership. If the site is anonymous or individually registered, that is a red flag.
· Be aware of legal requirements. To do some types of work, such as medical billing, a license or certificate may be required. Check with your state AG's office. Ask your local zoning board if there are any restrictions on operating a business from your home.
There are indeed thousands of work at home jobs that are scams. It would be advisable to do due diligence and visit forums. Thanks and good luck.
Posted by: Mitch | 11/23/2009 at 11:06 AM