If you are one of millions of people who are looking to find a work at home job online then you simply MUST learn to spot a scam. Online work at home scams are now frequently referred to as "Dot Cons" after the term "Dot Coms". When you are desperately seeking a work at home job, most often that not you tend to "buy" into an opportunity without doing much research. Hundreds of dollars later you'll find out the hard way that you were a victim of a scam! Here are 7 ways to identify a scam and how to avoid them.

1) Extravagant Claims

Many websites or work at home opportunities will promise you that you can make "millions" in a matter of days. Many will display their so called "proof of income" on their websites, which often turn out to be touched up pictures of fake checks or bank statements. Don't fall for these "gimmicks" If you feel that these claims to riches are extravagant, then guess what? They are. Get all claims and promises in writing before you sign up or pay to join at any of these websites. Remember that if the claims are real then these companies will have no reason to deny you real proof on request. If they refuse, you KNOW it's a scam.

2) Read The Fine Print

Many fraudulent websites bury the fine print in tiny letters at the bottom or their webpage or on another page with a link to it that's hard to find. Make sure that you read these fine prints for any clauses that can come back to bite you if ever you want your money back. Click on all the links that provide more information and make sure you read them completely. Do not simply assume that the website is legitimate. Assume that it's a fake and let it prove to you that it's real.

3) Look For Privacy Information

Many websites collect your personal information like your name and email address. Make sure that these website tell you exactly what they intend to do with it. If they don't tell you what they will do with it, it's time to move onto another website because the chances are that your personal information might be shared - or worse - SOLD to others. Make sure you don't volunteer information such as your SSN or Credit card information unless you are absolutely sure of what the website will do with it.

4) Look For Business Name, And Contact Details.

Legitimate businesses and websites will always display their business name, address and other contact information clearly on their websites. If you do not see any contact information, then be very skeptical about that site. Shady websites won't display this information since they don't want you to contact them. Do you really want to do business with suck a website?

5) Know What You Are Getting Before You Buy

Many websites refuse to tell you what they will provide you with until you pay for it. This is unacceptable. You, as a consumer, MUST know before hand what you are getting before you buy. I'm not talking about knowing the exact details of a work at home job, but you should at least get SOME idea of what to expect after you pay. If a website does not clearly state what you will receive once you pay, you might end up getting scammed. So be weary and always make sure you know what you are buying.

6) Refund Policies

Some websites clearly provide refund policies. You should be able to return the goods or ask for your money back within reasonable terms. Many legitimate websites will let you get your money back as long as you ask for it within 30 days. But some plainly state that you simply WILL NOT receive your money back. Be weary of these types of web sites. The reason they are afraid of refunding your money is because they anticipate many refund requests. This is a BIG reason for you to NOT do business with this type of website.

7) Beware of MLM type websites.

MLM or multi level marketing websites are related to pyramid schemes. These scams can be easily spotted since their claims to riches are made purely on mathematical probability and nothing else. These schemes are almost always a scam and their claims to riches are simply unrealistic in real life. If a website depends heavily on mathematical probabilities of you making money and if that is the ONLY proof they offer you, you might be about to get ripped off by an MLM scam. It's time to move on!

The bottom line is that you simply must use common sense when looking for an online work at home job. Think of it as looking to buy a new car or a house. Use the same attitude, even though the price tag is much smaller. Remember that the risk involved is almost the same since you are investing your hard earned money or lifetime's savings on ONE website. So you better make 100% sure that you aren't the next victim of "Dot Con" scams.