Ways to Avoid WAHM Scams

When you decide to be a work-at-home-mom (WAHM) you’ll likely encounter ads that promise easy work, instant success and big money.

And it can be difficult not to be tempted by the ads and promises. But beware. There are scams out there.

Work-at-home scams can strip you of money, reputation and, at the very least, your confidence.

A Prevalent Scam

If you’re of a certain age, you might remember seeing ads in newspapers years ago, promising “easy money!” for stuffing envelopes. Yes, this one is still around.

The ads are generally targeted to moms at home, students and retired people. It’s easy to get sucked into the idea that you can make money by stuffing envelopes for businesses, but in reality, you don’t.

You are asked to send money and in return, you will get a list if of businesses you must contact to try and get their envelope stuffing business. The reality? Few, if any, companies hire people to stuff their envelopes. And these days, with more and more people relying on online methods to contact potential customers and clients, they need this service even less.

Sometimes people who pay the money will be given information on how to advertise in newspapers and online for people to start an envelope stuffing business. You make money from these poor people as they contact you for more information.

If you see this offer, or it’s sent to you directly, it’s best to ignore it, no matter how tempting.

Ways to Spot a Scam

It’s not easy to spot a scam. If you are desperate to work at home and looking for something that’s already set up for you (in that you don’t have to actually start your own business), you might be tempted by these offers to work at home.

There are several ways to help you determine if you are dealing with unscrupulous people who are trying to scam you.

Does the offer promise big pay for easy work? If so, it might be a scam. The reality is that few people can get paid big dollars for easy or little work. Big pay usually is a reward for big work. Although it might be tempting to think that you can get paid big dollars for small work, think again and carefully. Consider objectively just how likely that promise will come true.

Does the offer promises you a lot of work for you sending them a fee? Any offer that promises you a lot of work for a fee you must send them is likely not on the up and up. Of course, some businesses -- for example, businesses where you sell products as a consultant for a company – may require a small up-front investment. In that case, however, you are investing in your own business (inventory) not the business of others.

Can you get your questions answered? Ask questions. If you get vague answers, or your questions are ignored completely, that should set off warning bells. You should be able to find a street address for the company, the names of the relevant players in the company and you should be able to check the company’s history with the Better Business Bureau and other such agencies.

Can you speak to someone in person? Don’t sign up for a job or to work with a company without talking to someone on the phone, via video or in person. Don’t settle for the information available on a website in the FAQs. Instead, be certain you can connect with someone to speak with one-on-one (not in email). If you can’t do that, you might want to look elsewhere.

Can you make any necessary payments by credit card? If you do need to make an investment in product or materials (not for the job itself) use your credit card. Don’t write a check or use a debit card because those will be harder to get protection with. If you use a credit card, you get protection from the credit card company if things go sideways.

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Do your research and understand the various risks and rewards of the company you are considering. There are many bad deals and scams out there. But if you do your research, you should be able to find the right opportunity for you.