Reading Skills for Today's Adults

Many people who need extra money would like to work at home. Some companies cheat people out of money by preying on this desire to make money from home. Who wouldn’t want to make a lot of money with a flexible schedule while staying at home with children or pets, maybe even in your pajamas?

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Though most work-at-home businesses used to advertise on signs seen along the road or through ads in newspapers and magazines, now ads appear by email and are posted online. Maybe you’ve seen some of them like these ones: “Earn $2,500 a month without leaving your home—send $29.95 for details” or “Work from home a few hours a day and earn $1,000 a week.” The old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” applies to these ads. 

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Many ads don’t tell you about the hidden costs. They also don’t tell you that there may be many hours of work required for no pay. The claims about making hundreds or thousands of dollars a week are not true, and up to 99% of these work-at-home offers are scams. While many variations of work-at-home schemes exist, envelope stuffing, assembly or craft work, taking surveys, mystery shopping, and data entry are some of the most common. Promoters advertise that for a “small” fee, they will tell you how to earn money working from home, but later, when it’s too late, you will find out the promoter’s real goals: to make money from you or to steal your personal information.

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Remember the following tips about legitimate businesses if you are considering a work-at-home opportunity:

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1. They will never ask you for money to learn more about a job.

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2. They will not promise more money than is fair for a level of education or type of job.

3.They will likely not hire you without a proper interview.

4. They will pay you for training or provide specialized equipment; they will never ask you to pay for your own training or equipment.

5. They will not hire just anyone; they want to hire employees who have relevant experience or qualifications.

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6. They will not post vague ads about their “systems” or “programs” but will provide detailed information on job requirements upfront and will answer all of your questions.

Finally, do not be convinced by fancy websites or

mailings. It’s not difficult to create a professional-looking website or flyer, and scam promoters will do whatever needed to persuade you to give them money or information. If you want to find out about a business, especially if it’s legitimate, go to the Better Business Bureau’s website at https://www.bbb.org/.