Creative Consumer: Avoid Work at Home Scams

-- if I don't get a paper cut on my tongue. Ouch! By contrast, professional mailing companies have machines that can easily collate, fold, stuff and seal 5000 envelopes an hour.

Do Your Homework

Personally, I would never believe any work-at-home offer sent via email, advertised in the classified section of the newspaper or posted on a telephone pole. If you want to work from home, find a legitimate, well-known company and see if it offers telecommuting positions.

If you insist on pursuing a work-at-home offer you see advertised, find out the name and phone number of the company and check its reputation with the Better Business Bureau and your county and state consumer protection offices.

How to Complain

The U.S. Postal Inspector investigates many work-at-home scams because the kits are usually sent through the mail. If your kit is delivered by some other method, contact your county and state consumer protection offices and your state attorney general for help. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau to warn other consumers that you had a bad experience.