Beware of Scams if Looking to Start Work-From-Home Business in 2020

You might be thinking of beginning 2020 with a new work-at-home job, but the Consumer Affairs division of the Federal Trade Commission warns that when you search online or get ads by email, you’ll often find scammers instead of a real opportunity.

The FTC cited an example of a scammer they caught in 2019.

According to the FTC a Company called, Effen Ads tricked more than 50,000 people into paying for fake work-at-home opportunities.

According to the FTC’s complaint, the company ran ads with made-up news stories and fake celebrity endorsements.

Those ads promised people they could make easy money by posting advertising links on websites. The catch?

First, people had to pay $97 in upfront fees. Then, Effen gave people basic online training materials — but no money-making links, the FTC says.

Even worse, some people lost tens of thousands of dollars after Effen Ads allegedly sold their information to telemarketing companies, which then convinced people to buy bogus business coaching and other services, according to the FTC’s complaint.

The FTC settled its case against Effen Ads and required the defendants to pay nearly $1.5 million to people who lost money.

If you want to start a business from home, the FTC encourages people to first research the company’s name online with the words “complaint,” “scam,” or “review.”

You can tell if the company is bogus by noting a couple of things in their advertising:

They guarantee that you’ll make money. The promises to make quick and easy money are always lies.

If talking to someone from the company by phone, stop the conversation if they begin to use high-pressure tactics to get you to buy or sign up. That’s a very strong sign of a scam.

Finally, talk to someone you trust. And then tell the FTC: ftc.gov/complaint. And learn more about work-at-home jobs and business opportunities.