Dealing with scams

If you've been a work at home scam victim or have come close to falling for one, don't get mad, get even!

Okay, so maybe you canceled your credit card and you will no longer be a victim of a specific work at home scam, but it can happen again and happen to your friends, neighbors and others who fall for the same phony lines with phony testimonials.

You can report work at home scams to one or more of several sources, including the US Postal Service (for scams received in the mail), your state Attorney General's office, or the agencies listed in detail here, all of which accept online complaint filing.

Internet Crime Complaints
If you've been the victim of a work at home scam on the Internet, whether through an email, a pop-up ad or a landing page you ended up on after clicking an ad, you can report that scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

You don't actually have to have been a victim - but if you are, be sure to save any evidence you might have - electronic or otherwise - such as credit card receipts, etc. because the IC3 will ask for those materials.

The FBI is a part of the IC3 and it has an international reach against crime. You do not have to be a US citizen to report a work at home scam or other Internet crime to them. Find out what's involved, what to expect and how to file a complaint with the IC3.

Reporting Work at Home Scams to the FTC
The FTC - Federal Trade Commission - is a U.S. government agency that collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media, including information on work at home scams, many of which involve false or deceptive advertising. When the FTC receives a complaint, it files information about that complaint, such as an Internet scam, into a secure online database that is used by thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide.

Find out what's involved with filing a complaint with the FTC, what to expect and where and how to file.

Better Business Bureau - BBB
The BBB, or Better Business Bureau, is another avenue for filing complaints for work at home scams. The BBB accepts complaints even if the company doesn't belong to the Better Business Bureau.

The Better Business Bureau has office throughout the U.S. and Canada, and representatives work with you during the complaint process. By filing information on work at home scams with the BBB, you are creating a complaint record that others can see if they believe a work at home opportunity might be a scam.

Find out what types of complaints you can file, where to file and what to expect once you do file our complaint.

Have you been a victim of a work at home scam? Tell us your story!
Readers share their work at home and other Internet scam experiences, including what scam they fell for, what happened, and what they did about it.

-By Randy Duermyer, About.com