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{{Short description|Scams focused on businesses run from one's home}}
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{{distinguish|text = [[Remote work]], a legitimate working arrangement}}
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{{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the United States|date=February 2011}}
[[File:Workathomead.jpg|right|thumb|300px|An ad for a work-at-home scheme posted on a pole]]
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In some countries, law enforcement agencies work to fight work-at-home schemes. In 2006, the United States [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) established [[Project False Hopes]], a federal and state law enforcement sweep that targets bogus business opportunities and work-at-home scams. The crackdown involved more than 100 law enforcement actions by the FTC, the Department of Justice, the [[United States Postal Inspection Service]], and law enforcement agencies in eleven states.<ref name="falsehopes"/>
[[Home-based business]] and [[remote work]] are a legitimate avenue for employment, but anyone seeking such an employment opportunity can be scammed by accepting home employment offers from individuals or unknown companies. A 2007 report in the United States suggested that about 97% of work-at-home offers were scams.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TakeControlOfYourLife/story?id=3003833&page=1 |title=Working From Home: Don't Get Scammed |publisher=ABC: Good Morning America |date=2007-04-03 |access-date=2009-07-03 |archive-date=2009-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831070821/http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TakeControlOfYourLife/story?id=3003833&page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many legitimate jobs at home require some form of post-high-school education, such as a [[college degree]] or certificate, or [[trade school]], and some experience in the field in an office or other supervised setting. Additionally, many legitimate at-home jobs are not like those in schemes are portrayed to be, as they are often performed at least some of the time in the company's office, require more [[self discipline]] than a traditional job, and have a higher risk of [[Termination of employment|firing]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}
Common types of work found in work-at-home schemes include:
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* [[Parcel mule scam|Re-shipping]], where the victim is required to receive the merchandise (often high-priced merchandise such as [[iPhone]]s, [[iPad]]s, [[MacBook]]s, or [[Google Pixel|Pixel smartphones]]) purchased with stolen credit cards (or picked up at carrier service centers or retail stores such as [[Best Buy]]), then ship them eventually overseas, usually to Eastern Europe. The package may be re-shipped to multiple U.S. addresses before leaving for the scammers. The victim is usually in it for about a month, after which their communications with the scammers cease. The victims are usually never paid and lose money, often as a result of paying for shipping supplies, and usually further victimized with identity theft but are generally not prosecuted unless a warning from law enforcement is ignored. This type of scam usually occurs during the winter holiday season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reshipping Scam|url=https://www.iovation.com/topics/reshipping-scam|publisher=TransUnion|access-date=June 1, 2020|archive-date=September 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919060219/https://www.iovation.com/topics/reshipping-scam|url-status=live}}</ref>
During the [[COVID-19]] pandemic, work-at-home schemes, as well as victims affected by such schemes, were extremely common.<ref>{{cite web| title=FTC warns of work-from-home scams amid COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://www.fox29.com/news/ftc-warns-of-work-from-home-scams-amid-covid-19-pandemic |publisher=FOX 29 Philadelphia |date=May 8, 2020 |archive-date=November 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127061347/https://www.fox29.com/news/ftc-warns-of-work-from-home-scams-amid-covid-19-pandemic|url-status=live}}</ref> Around 12% of German workers did so at least occasionally in 2018, compared to over 30% in the Netherlands, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Denmark and below 5% in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, and Romania. Evidence shows 26% of German workers did all of their work from home in April 2020, while 35% did some work from home and some onsite.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arntz |first1=Melanie |last2=Ben Yahmed |first2=Sarra |last3=Berlingieri |first3=Francesco |date=November 2020 |title=Working from Home and COVID-19: The Chances and Risks for Gender Gaps |journal=Intereconomics |language=en |volume=55 |issue=6 |pages=381–386 |doi=10.1007/s10272-020-0938-5 |issn=0020-5346 |pmc=7704591 |pmid=33281218}}</ref>
Some advertisements offer legitimate forms of work that really do exist, but exaggerate the salary and understate the effort that will have to be put into the job, or exaggerate the amount of work that will be available. Many such ads do not even specify the type of work that will be performed. Some similar schemes do not advertise work that would be performed at home, but may instead offer occasional, sporadic work away from home for large payments, paired with a lot of free time. Some common offers fitting this description are acting as [[Extra (actor)|extras]], [[mystery shopping]] (which in reality requires hard work, is paid close to minimum wage, and most importantly, does not require an up-front fee to join) and working as a [[nanny]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Police issue warning over horror film extras scam|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jul/11/police-warning-horror-film-extras-scam|work=The Guardian|date=July 11, 2012|access-date=Feb 15, 2015|archive-date=February 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215150056/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jul/11/police-warning-horror-film-extras-scam|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mystery Shopping in Australia|url=http://www.financeinformer.com.au/mystery-shopper-jobs-in-australia-and-the-companies-to-work-for/#Mystery-Shopping-in-Australia-|publisher=Finance Informer|access-date=Feb 15, 2015|archive-date=February 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215135854/http://www.financeinformer.com.au/mystery-shopper-jobs-in-australia-and-the-companies-to-work-for/#Mystery-Shopping-in-Australia-|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nanny Scams|url=http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchscams/a/nanny-scams.htm|publisher=About.com|access-date=Feb 15, 2015|archive-date=February 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215135902/http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchscams/a/nanny-scams.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
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