It’s fairly astonishing that scammers are nonetheless selling envelope-stuffing jobs as a professional technique to do business from home. I can inform you firsthand that stuffing envelopes for money is a rip-off.
How do I do know?
As a result of a very long time in the past, I fell for this rip-off.
You see, after I was in school, I labored part-time ready tables. Nevertheless, although I made good cash, between my class schedule and finding out, I may solely work just a few shifts per week. So, you possibly can think about my pleasure when I discovered a flyer on a bulletin board in school promoting envelope stuffer jobs.
The flyer claimed I may make $2.00 per envelope, all whereas working from the consolation of my house.
I instantly began calculating what number of envelopes I may stuff in between lessons and the way a lot more money I’d make per week; my life was going to be a lot simpler!
The flyer instructed me to ship them a $12.00 payment for the data on the best way to get began. I used to be so excited in regards to the alternative that I neglected the crimson flags, like sending the fee to an nameless P.O. Field or the exceeding excessive pay charges for entry-level work.
I waited for weeks for the data to reach. When it lastly did, I anxiously ripped open the envelope to be taught that this so-called envelope-stuffing job was a pyramid rip-off.
The letter advised me to advertise the identical rip-off that I had simply fallen for by inserting a need advert for envelope stuffers. Then when individuals reply to your advert, ship them the identical bogus info on the best way to replicate the rip-off.
I used to be so dissatisfied.
This was not a job. It was unethical info on the best way to rip-off individuals out of cash. Fortunately, I solely misplaced $12.00.
Is the Envelope-Stuffing Rip-off Nonetheless Round As we speak?
Sadly, I nonetheless come throughout this rip-off on the web and varied social media websites.
Solely now, they cost $99–$399 or extra for his or her so-called start-up equipment.
In Tory Johnson’s guide, “Will Work from House,” she checks these pretend on-line jobs with just a few completely different firms, and none of them ever panned out. In her guide, she says: “Recruiting individuals to stuff envelopes is the oldest work-from-home gimmick that fools individuals every single day. Don’t be one in all them”.
Each the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) and the Higher Enterprise Bureau (BBB) have alerts on their web sites warning individuals of this rip-off. In truth, the United States Postal Service says that stuffing envelopes is the commonest work-at-home rip-off (the opposite is packing scams).
And if you concentrate on it, why would an organization that wants envelopes stuffed use a person for this process once they can use a machine that folds, inserts, and seals 1,320 envelopes in a single hour? There isn’t any method a human can work that quick, and no firm goes to pay excessive {dollars} for this unskilled process.
Are There Any Legit Envelope-Stuffing Jobs?
Often, on websites like LinkedIn and Certainly, you’ll run into an advert for a legit envelope stuffer job. Nevertheless, it’s normally an unpaid volunteer place the place you go into an workplace and assist a charity stuff envelopes for his or her fundraiser. Different occasions, you’ll see in-person job openings for receptionists, information entry and mailroom clerks, and customer support representatives, the place stuffing envelopes is a small a part of their job duties. And these positions normally pay $13-$15 per hour, not $2-$10 per envelope!
You’re not going to seek out work-from-home jobs the place you’ll stuff envelopes as a part of your job duties, as sending large quantities of letters, envelopes, and stamps to a employee’s house could be cost-prohibitive to the employer.
What Ought to You Do if You’ve Fallen for This Rip-off?
Should you’ve fallen for this rip-off, contact your financial institution or bank card firm and have them situation a cease fee order. If the cash is already gone, you possibly can strive contacting the corporate that you just bought the data from and request a refund. Make sure you inform them that if they don’t refund your cash, you’ll be contacting officers to analyze their operations additional.
Should you can’t resolve the state of affairs, contact the FTC (1-877-FTC-HELP) to report the problem. You too can contact your native U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Since these scammers are utilizing P.O. Bins to run their rip-off operations, they are going to examine these fraudulent mail practices.
Watch Out For These Crimson Flags When Looking For Work-at-House Jobs
Once you’re looking for work-at-home jobs, it’s good to take your time and analysis the job alternative extensively!
Scammers know they will make a fast and simple buck by preying on individuals’s vulnerabilities. What I imply by vulnerabilities is when persons are struggling to make ends meet, or they have to be at house for a brand new child or aged guardian, there’s a sense of urgency, and these scammers know this. So that they create their adverts to attraction to those feelings.
The second motive scams are so prevalent is expertise has made it simple than ever to distribute scams whereas hiding behind a digital curtain.
For these causes, it’s extra necessary than ever so that you can educate your self on what’s legit and what’s not.
Listed below are some crimson flags to be careful for:
- Unfavorable critiques.
- No contact info — scammers don’t wish to be discovered.
- Imprecise job descriptions.
- Outrageous earnings claims with little or no effort in your half.
- Stress to behave rapidly.
- Unsolicited job provides.
- Poor spelling and grammar.
- Interviews by way of messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Messenger.
- Imposter scams – firms utilizing free e mail addresses like Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it in all probability is.
Discovering Reputable Work-From-House Jobs
Should you’re an aspiring envelope stuffer, you’re doubtless dissatisfied that this isn’t an actual paying job. Nevertheless, there are lots of different professional firms and work-from-home gigs value exploring. As an example, digital assistant jobs are a good way to place your administrative abilities to work, and I’ve an inventory of hiring firms proper right here.
Should you’re nonetheless feeling uneasy about your work-at-home job search — try the paid membership web site, FlexJobs. Each single job listed on their web site is hand-screened for legitimacy. So once you apply, you possibly can relaxation assured that you just’re not going to fall prey to a work-at-home rip-off. Not solely does FlexJobs have an A+ score with the Higher Enterprise Bureau, however additionally they supply a money-back assure if you happen to’re not glad.
Need extra legit work-from-home job leads? Join my free publication, the place I ship out new vetted distant job leads twice every week.
Have you ever encountered adverts for stuffing envelopes on-line? What different fraudulent alternatives have you ever come throughout?
Initially printed on March 31, 2009. Content material up to date December 2022.