Contact 6: Beware of work-at-home scams

MILWAUKEE -- If you'd like to work from home, U.S. Postal Inspectors say beware of rip-off artists hiring you for big bucks.

In one such offer, an advertisement asked if you wanted to make $3,500 a week. It's sounds like the deal of a lifetime. But the envelope-stuffing offer was a scam. The catch -- you had to pay $42 up front for information on how to get started. What would you get in return? Nothing. Postal inspectors found the con artists by sending their own $42 and tracing the money. In one case alone, there were 3,000 victims and almost $400,000 in losses.

"A lot of the victims I spoke with were down on their luck, out of a job. They are trying to make money," said Marc Ewing, U.S. Postal Inspector.

If you're tempted by a work-at-home business opportunity, ask these questions: