Severe Increase In The At-Home Work Scams

According to the Office of Fair Trading, scammers aiming people who wish to work from home are using the economy recession as an opportunity to redeem.

The OFT estimates that the organizations are putting people under trap that they can earn easy money, cost UK victims £70m a year.

In addition to it believes that figure is set to increase during the present downturn in the economy.

The OFT is featuring the trend as part of Scam Awareness month which try to find the ways to stop people being conned and parting with their cash.

It has been reported that there is a sever increase in the scam of earning money at home. Scammers are using downturn in the economy as a chance to scam money.

Previous year 209 people indicated deceptive home working schemes to the government's consumer suggestion body Consumer Direct but the OFT reveals this figure is the tip of the iceberg.

"Only 2% of people who get taken in by these scams actually report them," said Mike Haley, Director of Consumer Protection at the OFT.

However, "Our research points out that over 300,000 people each year are falling victim and it's on the rise due to the severe economic climate.

"People are hunting for work, for convenient chances to earn money at home and these scammers are taking advantage of that fake hope."

It has been pointed out that Elizabeth Cork from Norfolk was among those to be taken in by such a scam, after marking an advert in a national newspaper to earn up to £300 a day at home filling envelopes. It asked for a payment of £35 for a starter pack.

"It was not too much money so I thought it would be a quite safe thing to do," added by Mrs. Cork.

Primarily nothing taken place but after writing to them again, she received an information pack but there was no envelopes.

Instead she got instructions to place leaflets containing her contact details around her village. She was told that when people got in touch, she would then receive £1.70 in return for forwarding their details to the company.

Mrs. Cork then contacted Trading Standards who told her to write again and demand a refund or the work she was expecting. Almost two months on, she has heard nothing back.

"It's the truth I'm trying to earn money legitimately and there's someone out there grabbing my money."

That was the true story of how she was being scammed while earning money from home.