Lets face it Financial obligations can be tough, and many moms want the opportunity to work at home yet still earn money. Because of this, moms have become a big target for work-at-home scams. It has been estimated that $40 billion a year is lost to scams in the United States alone and 6 million people answer classified ads each year regarding money scams. These ads practically jump off the page, grabbing at our fantasies and checkbooks. They all sound too good to be true, and they are.

Beware. There are hundreds of scams out there that are easy to fall victim to. Most work at home scams use similar advertising tactics to get your attention. Familiarizing yourself with the different tactics out there will help you to determine a scam, even if they are not obvious. The accessibility of the internet has helped the number of scams out there more than double over the last several years serving as a breeding ground for get-rich-quick schemes. While real work at home opportunities are abundant and continue to become more available, keep in mind that for every real work at home job, there are hundreds of scams. Real work at home business opportunities will NOT advertise the following red flags:

Fees or purchase prior to the understanding of what you are actually purchasing
Easy or Little work required
900 numbers
No experience necessary
Earn $300 $800 a week and more!!!

Do your Research. Researching all opportunities before investing your money will save time and money in the long run. Dont be afraid to ask questions, a real work at home opportunity will encourage your questions as an opportunity for you to learn more about their company. As a rule of thumb, (1) never pay for anything without completely understanding what it is youre paying for, (2) dont make rushed or hurried decisions, think things through completely sleep on it if you have to, and (3) always check out the companys background/history. A common misconception is that there is easy money to be made with little or no work required. Anyone who has started a home business knows that working from home requires one to put more time and effort into their business than one would working for an employer. So dont be taken by the scams that focus on how easy it is to make money. (link)Work-at-home-magazine.com works hard to research opportunities as they present themselves and make note of our findings to share on the message boards. Other research tools available on the internet to research or report scams are:

The Better Business Bureau - http://www.bbbonline.org/
The FTCs Consumer Response Center - http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm
Consumer Sentinel - http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/
Scambusters Newsletter - http://www.scambusters.org/
National Fraud Information Center - Fraud.org

To have your own business and work from home you need an idea and the will power and endurance to see it through. Find an online community seeking common goals to be your support group and guide you through your journey. But dont fear if youre not one of those idea people. There are many real work at home business opportunities available to almost anyone who is willing to work hard. Check out the Direct Sales Center or Work at Home Jobs at Work-at-home-magazine.com where you will find all types of telecommuting or work at home opportunities.

Along with the advice given above, use your best judgment when making all your business decisions.