WHY Xtra: 5 Classic Work-at-Home Schemes

Happy December, kids! Here's this week's WHY Xtra:

5 Classic Work-at-Home Schemes

1. Medical billing. Start your own electronic claim processing at home and make boatloads of money -- for an investment of $2,000 to $8,000! The promoters promise all kinds of support, but rarely do, making it difficult – if not impossible – to find clients and generate revenues.

2. Envelope stuffing. Promoters usually advertise that, for a “small” fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. However, later – when it’s too late – you find out that they never had any employment to offer.

3. Assembly or craft work. These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies, or they require you to spend many hours producing goods (aprons, baby shoes, etc.) for a company that has promised to buy them. However, after you've purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, the scammers don't pay you.

4. Email processing. After charging you for training materials, the company claims to pay about $20 per email for spamming the same ad you responded to.

5. Typing. After paying a fee, you receive a disk with information that tells you how to place home typist ads and sell copies of the disk to others -- like you -- who reply to you. A classic pyramid scheme.

Join the WHY magazine mailing list to have each week's Xtra emailed to you in pretty colors -- and with a photo! Ooh... Ahh...!