(NAPS)—Experts say offers to
work at home that seem too good
to be true probably are.
According to the 2000 Census,
over four million people in the
U.S. work at home every day and
the numbers are increasing.
From stay-at-home moms to
college students to retirees, workat-
home opportunities are an
attractive option. So it should
come as no surprise that scams
offering work-at-home jobs that
pay “big financial rewards” have
also grown in popularity.
Proceed with caution, warn
U.S. Postal Inspectors, because
many “offers” don’t deliver on
their promises. Most “opportunities”
will not guarantee regular
salaried employment and many
omit the fact you may have to
work many hours without pay.
Others require you to spend
your own money for products or
instructions before revealing how
a plan works. And the “work”
promised often continues the
fraud by getting other victims
involved.
Some of the classic work-athome
scams include:
• envelope stuffing;
• product assembly/craft work;
• medical billing; and,
• reshipping.
Reshipping—one of the newer
scams—involves receiving items
ordered by the scam artist often
using stolen credit card information.
The scam victim then
repackages the merchandise for
shipment to a foreign country.
Whether they’re old or new,
these scams have cost their victims
thousands of dollars. Check
out any offer before responding.
Legitimate companies should
provide information in writing
about the program they are
offering.
Postal Inspectors offer these
protection tips:
• Don’t give out personal information
to a person or company
you don’t know.
• Be suspicious of any offer
that doesn’t pay a regular salary
or involves working for an overseas
company.
• Check out the company with
the FTC, Better Business Bureau,
or state Attorney General.
There is no easy way to wealth.
Operating a home-based business
is just like any other business—it
requires hard work, skill, good
products or services, and it takes
time to make a profit.
For more information on workat-
home scams or to order a free
DVD, visit the Web site at
www.usps.com/postalinspectors.
