TIPS TO AVOID WORK-AT-HOME FRAUD

To steer clear of fraudulent business opportunities, follow these tips:

• Don't get involved with an employer that can't make its business model perfectly clear to you or one that's willing to hire you without even a phone interview.
• Never give your bank account, credit card or Social Security numbers to an employer whose legitimacy you cannot independently verify. These numbers can be used to steal from you or launder funds stolen from others.
• Do your own research — via the Internet or with a business librarian's help - on any employer that makes you feel at all uneasy.
• Rational people can make irrational decisions when under stress. If you are in financial trouble, recognize your vulnerability and think twice before you make matters worse by getting involved in a suspicious employment scheme.