These are some of the tips and advice that the Better Business gives on its website regarding work at home opportunities.

(Note: These tips pertain to the industry cited above and do not necessarily track our experience with the company in whose report they appear. In particular, industry complaints referenced below are typical of the industry as a whole, but not necessarily every company in the industry.)

The Better Business Bureau warns against paying up front fees for work-at-home opportunities, which are often described as voice mail retrieval, reading email, stuffing or mailing of envelopes, processing mail, being a home mailer, updating mailing lists, typing labels, home secretarial work, e-commerce at home, or home computer work. The Bureau’s experience is that these are often a variation on a chain letter. Those schemes are regularly shut down by the United States Postal Inspectors.

If you are calling to complain about a problem with this company, and the complaint involves one of the opportunities just described, please file your complaint instead with the Postal Inspectors by calling 800-372-8347.

Other schemes may be described as medical billing opportunities, reviewing movies, reading books, or home assembly of various products. How do you find a real job, which allows you to work at home? You can sign up with your state’s employment commission or check out the classified ads. Do not expect to find real jobs that pay good money for easy work to be done at home. The request for an up front fee is a big warning sign. Even if the company is offering a home assembly opportunity or a directory of companies looking for homeworkers, we advise caution before paying any up front fees for any reason.

You normally will no more have to pay to work at home than you would to work in an office, if the job is real. Because these types of companies come and go so quickly, the absence of complaints at the Better Business Bureau is not a good indicator that the company is legitimate. The victims may be too embarrassed to complain or the scheme may be structured to make it look like any problems are the fault of the victim.