Community Magazine June 2003

48 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Work from home opportunities are advertised everywhere. The prob- lem is that according to Beverley Williams, President and Founder of the American Association of Home-Based Businesses, There are very few legitimate [work-at-home job] opportunities available. Most legit- imate work from home jobs are a result of positions transitioned to telecommuters, and most of the people that will get these jobs are people with specific industry experience. There are many legitimate companies that can help you start your own home business; the key is figuring out which are real and which are just scams. Remember the old saying if it sounds too good to be true... it probably is. ✏ Craft Assembly Hook: Assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects at home and be paid handsomely by the company for your finished product. Line: You have to pay a fee up-front for the starter kit, which includes instructions and parts. Sinker: Once you finish assembling your first batch of crafts, youll be told by the company that they dont meet our specifications. In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible to meet their specifications. Summary: The scammer company is making money selling the starter kits not selling the assembled product. ✏ Medical Billing Hook: Start your own medical billing service at home. Youre promised state-of-the-art medical billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your area. Line: Costs range from $300-$900 for the startup kit Sinker: What youre not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills, or outsource the processing to professional firms, not indi- viduals. Your software may not meet their specifications, and often the lists of potential clients are outdated or just plain wrong. Summary: The scammers overstate the market demand for the serv- ice and provide unrealistic expectations ✏ Envelope Stuffing Hook: Earn a hefty $1-$2 stuffing up to 1,000 envelopes a week with postage and address already affixed. Line: You need to send money for instructions. Sinker: The instructions direct you to put up flyers around town, adver- tising a work-from-home opportunity. The flyer directs others to send you $2 in a self addressed, stamped envelope for instructions. Then you become the scammer, stuffing that envelope with instructions for the work from home scheme and send it to them. Summary: Dating back to 1920s and 1930s, this scam will not go away and continues to spread as each new victim is snared. ✏ Email Processing/ Typing At Home/ Turn Your Computer into a Money-Making Machine Hook: Earn $25 for processing emails or for typing from the comfort of your own home. Line: Pay $50 for instructions and/or software. Sinker: Instructions direct you to spam the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums Summary: These are all twists on the classic envelope stuffing scam where the scammed become scammers. ✏ Work from Home Company List Hook: Get a list of companies that are looking for work from home employees Line: The list is mailed to you for a small fee. Sinker: The list is usually a generic directory of companies that you could just as easily pull from your Yellow Pages. Summary: Stick with actual job offers from the classifieds ✏ Call for a Great Job Hook: Undemanding, highly paid job/business opportunity is just a phone call away. Line: Phone number is a pay-per-call 900 Number that is charged to your phone bill. Sinker: Automated message on 900 number gives instructions for another home based business. Summary: Your dream job is not at the other end of a 900 number. The psychology that makes these scams so successful is a combina- tion of the make money fast dream that appeals to almost everyone and individual factors that make traditional 9 to 5 jobs difficult for some people. Groups that are most susceptible to these scams include: the sick, disabled, elderly, stay-at-home mothers and low- income or no-income families that may be victim of a recent lay off, in short the people that can least afford getting taken. SKETCHING THE SCAMS Popular Work-At-Home and Home-Based Business Scams CM s ” xc