One of the biggest problems with working form home is the number of scams around. Spotting something that is not real or out of the ordinary is easy in the traditional job market, but in the virtual world it can be very difficult to see the scam in the work at home environment. Weeding out these scams is a job that everyone wishing to work from home must be prepared to do.

Following are 5 easy steps that you can follow to help you to spot a work at home scam. I will give you things to look for when checking out these work at home opportunities. You will need to go through each of the 5 steps to see if the company passes or fails. To be a legitimate business it needs to pass all 5 steps. By using these 5 steps you should be able to avoid most scams without ending up losing lots of money or wasting valuable time on an opportunity that will not give you anything back.

Step 1:- The company gives no details. The company should give you details of who they are, what the company does and what the job is you are expected to do. This is not a covert operation and full disclosure should be made. It is more than likely a scam if they do not give this information.

Step 2:- The company requires payment up front to work with them. Although saying this, some cases of upfront payment can be above board. It is quite easy to get caught up on this. In a direct sales situation, paying for a sales kit upfront is okay, however paying an application fee or administrative fee is not okay. You should never pay just to get information about the job. If you are not getting an actual product (ebook etc.) or a sales kit then steer clear.

Step 3:- The company has no products or service. If you are not told what you will be selling then you will be selling nothing at all. Taking money without selling anything (whether tangible items or information products) has no place in the online world and is more than likely a scam.

Step 4:- the company is not known. It is rare for an online work at home business not to be known about by anyone. If nobody has heard about the business and after searching for this business (online is a good avenue for this) no information can be found, then it is likely a scam. People will be buzzing about a real business. People will be talking about it using blogs and social networking sites, telling others about their experiences.

Step 5:- Follow your gut instinct. If a business deal does not feel right then it probably is not right. Do not go with a company or work at home scheme if it does not give you a good feeling.

I have given you these 5 steps to help you weed out the work at home scams. They can help you to stop falling for these scams and will help save you a lot of time and money. People become despondent and give up on the work at home experience due to these scams, which is a shame because they can really be a lot of fun, and there are a lot of companies out there ready for people to make a good living.