Companies sell the dream of working from home but what you buy is a nightmare.

The dream of making money from home – on our own schedules, wearing our own pajamas (actually make that someone else’s pajamas, ours are ripped) – is so common it’s in some cultures considered a maternal instinct.

But many of the companies selling this dream are actually peddling scams. Usually, if you have to spend money, there’s none to be made.

In fact recently a company called REAL WEALTH told people like us that buying their booklets could help them earn substantial income but was later fined $10.4 million by the government. The Federal Trade Commission then took much of that and is now mailing it back to the 50,365 consumers who bought that crap. In the meantime, the government put together for us a list of “opportunities” that tend to make money only for the companies selling them.

Envelope Stuffing 

If there’s ever a “small” fee we should all run fast – but particularly if it’s for the privilege of learning how to stuff envelopes. Come on people, this isn’t pacemaker manufacturing. In this less heartwarming scenario you pay and then find out the promoter never had any work to offer in the first place. Rather, in exchange for your money, you get a letter telling you to convince your friends and relatives to buy the same envelope-stuffing “opportunity.” Suck-ahs!

Assembly or Craft Work

If the idea of making money by assembling crafts at home sounds great, well, that’s why scammers came up with it. You’ll probably also be asked to buy a sewing machine or a sign-making contraption and it won’t be cheap. Have your own? Don’t worry, they’ll charge you for materials to create aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. Basically, you’ll spend hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. But don’t worry, it won’t. Your work won’t be “up to standard.” And that’s a near guarantee.

Rebate Processing

Another bad idea. You’ll pay a fee for training, certification or registration but – the company promises – it will be nothing compared to what you’ll earn processing rebates! What you really get are poorly written and useless training materials. There are no rebates to process, and few people ever see a refund. Oh, and the #1 certified work-at-home consultant behind the program? Is either a liar or a lie, seeing as she won’t exist.

Online Searches

You’re supposed to earn $500 or even $7,000 a month running Internet searches! The fee is small, so there’s little to lose! No. No no no no. You’ll hand over your credit card information and the company will help itself to your money every month, charging your recurring fees that are hard to fight.

Medical Billing

The bottom line is this: most doctor offices have been billing people for years and they don’t need you. But ads promise income for to process medical claims electronically — full time or part time. When you call the toll-free number, a sales rep tells you doctors are eager for help and in exchange for your investment of hundreds — or thousands — of dollars, you’ll get everything you need to launch your own medical billing business, including the software to process the claims, a list of potential clients and technical support.

Forget it. The lists they give you often are out-of-date and include doctors who haven’t asked for billing services. The software they send may not even work. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce, and not many people who purchase these “opportunities” are able to find clients, start a business or generate revenue — let alone get back their investment and earn any income. Many doctors’ offices process their own medical claims, and doctors who contract out their billing function often use large, well-established firms, rather than someone working from home.