{"id":5137,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:57","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/starting-a-business\/beware-work-at-home-schemes.html"},"modified":"2026-05-26T16:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T21:57:00","slug":"beware-work-at-home-schemes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/starting-a-business\/beware-work-at-home-schemes.html","title":{"rendered":"How To Spot Work-At-Home Schemes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How To Spot Work-At-Home Schemes<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Amber Sheppard, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Catherine Hodder, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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A work-at-home scam is a fraudulent scheme that deceives individuals with false promises of lucrative remote employment opportunities. Typically, these scams provide a job offer but trick people into buying expensive equipment, paying upfront fees, or purchasing useless supplies.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.\u00a0Not all\u00a0work-at-home opportunities<\/a>\u00a0deliver on their promise of full-time work offering lots of money. Many ads on job boards, LinkedIn, or job search groups on social media<\/span> omit all the costs you must pay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Countless work-at-home schemes and remote jobs<\/span> require you to spend your own money to place advertisements or buy supplies and equipment you need to do the job.\u00a0Consumers deceived by these ads for work-at-home jobs<\/span> have lost thousands of dollars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This article discusses how to spot a work-from-<\/span>home <\/span>scam<\/span> and laws that can provide recourse for those who have been duped.<\/p>\n

Spotting a Work-From-Home Scheme<\/h2>\n

Before agreeing to an online job advertisement, research the company. Here are a few places to do that:<\/p>\n