The ad claims you can make a lot of money working from the comfort of your home. But if this was true, wouldn't we all be working from home? Follow these simple steps to protect yourself from fraudulent employment scams:

• Be cautious about emails offering work-at-home opportunities. Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent;
• Get all the details before you apply. A legitimate company will be happy to give you information about exactly what you will be doing and for whom;
• Beware of the old "envelope stuffing" scheme. In this classic scam, instead of getting materials to send out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to send you money for information about working at home. You won't get rich, and you could be prosecuted for fraud;
• A real company offering a position-whether it be work at home or in an office-will ask to see your resume, probably want references, and might want to communicate by phone. If they don’t ask for any of these things, be careful! And, if they ask for money, beware! A legitimate company will NEVER ask you for money to work for them!