Protection Against Fake "At Home" Job Offers

The Better Business Bureau is constantly getting questions from people wondering about the legitimacy of “at-home” job opportunities. There are ads all over the internet offering easy jobs and great pay and the Better Business Bureau says many of these ads are schemes.

To combat the claims of easy riches from a home office, the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on these companies.

“These new protections the FTC is offering to consumers are of special interest to us, as the BBB receives numerous calls from consumers interested in work-at-home offers every day,” stated Dana Badgerow, President and CEO of the BBB. “The industry is so rife with fraud we have no choice but to constantly maintain a close watch on it.”

The FTC is making changes to the Business Opportunity Rule, which will force companies to disclose more information to consumers so they can make informed decisions.

According to a press release from the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota, companies offering “at home” opportunities must disclose:

• The seller's identifying information
• Information about the purchaser's likely earnings
• Whether the seller, its affiliates or key personnel have been involved in certain legal actions
• Whether the seller has a cancellation or refund policy and provide details about that policy
• A list of persons who bought the business opportunity within the previous three years

The Better Business Bureau says consumer should also look out for these red flags:

• Big bucks for easy tasks
• Instant job offers, with no application
• Requests for upfront money
• Request for wire transfers
• High pressure tactics