They make professional looking websites, including testimonials from people talking about all of the money they have made and how great the business is. They try to pull you in by talking about how much they enjoy the flexibility of being able to set their own schedule, work from their own home, and be their own boss.

All the things that we would all like to have, but have yet to find. The question is how do you know if these offers are legitimate? Should we automatically hit delete, assume that they are all scams, and possibly miss the one that might, just might be a true business opportunity, the one that you have been so desperately seeking? This article will tell you about some of the known home business scams that are out there, so that hopefully, you won't be the next victim taken for a ride by them.

We have all seen the advertisements on television and online that offers you the business of your dreams, financial freedom, and unlimited success, and then tells you that all you have to do is call this 1-900 number for more information.

These phone numbers are by no means toll free, and will cost you quite a bit of money just for making the call for more information. Oftentimes, the promised information is just a bunch of garbage that is thrown together in an attempt to keep you on the phone longer, making them more money in the end, money that will come out of your pocket when you have to pay your next telephone bill.

The most well known home business scam is the envelope stuffing business. You send in a nominal amount of money to a company that promises that in return, they will send you a certain number of envelopes that they need you to stuff and return.

They go on to tell you that they will pay you a certain amount of money for each envelope you do, but what actually happens, is that you send the money in, and never hear from the company again, or you do get the envelopes, stuff them, and send them back in, only to never see any money in return. Not to mention the fact that you are also out the original fee that you sent in for the information to start with. So, this is a total scam, and a total waste of your time and hard earned money. You are just making some scammer's pockets that much fatter!

Much like the envelope stuffing scam, there is a similar scam that involves your email. You get a message in your inbox telling you that you can make a ton of money by sending out emails for this company, and to send them a certain amount of money upfront for more information. They send you back a list that tells you to forward the original email they sent you to someone else, and get them to pay you the fee, and so on. You never really gain anything from this, other than turning yourself into a scam artist, victimizing others.

If you see an ad for a home based business, and it looks as though you can make a ton of money for literally doing nothing, then chances are it is a scam. If you are lucky, you will realize this prior to sending them any of your hard earned money, but if you do, don't be surprised if you never get the money back, or never even hear from the company again.

If you receive a solicitation in your email that you did not sign up for, then delete it right away. Chances are pretty high that it is a scam invented to make someone else rich, certainly not you.

Legitimate companies are not going to expect you to send them money for more information about the job they are offering, so if you get something that looks like it would be the best thing for you, and you get to the bottom and it says all you have to do is send us $20 by check, money order, PayPal, credit or debit card, then chances are it is a scam, and you should leave the site and don't look back.

When looking for a work at home job or home based business, remember that you are looking for ways that you can make money, not ways to lose it. Don't pay someone for information, and don't fall into the spam trap.