The internet is filled with opportunities for those interested in making the most of it, however it also has many who also use the platform to commit frauds and con people. This article will hopefully provide you with the knowledge so that you can detect the legitimate opportunities from the frauds.

When searching the internet for good job opportunities, we come across sites where we are required to perform some activity, like write articles or sell a product to earn our salary. Then there are other sites and interesting advertisements on the internet that pop up when we are surfing or being routed to a website. These will talk about how one can sit at home and earn thousands of dollars every month. Or how one can simply become a member on their website, and refer people and earn $5 per referral. The latter are all part of a large scam and should not be trusted.

Needless to say there are some reliable opportunities that come our way, which might require us to pay a nominal fee to utilize their services. These are legal and fairly normal practice for online work. Through these opportunities, you can indeed work from home, earn a decent income and maybe build your business by networking with others.

Filling out surveys is a common way to earn money online. As an individual, you are welcome to try and contact major marketing companies around the world, and let them know of your interest in taking part in their research. This is like shooting in the dark as you are not aware of who these companies or how to go about the process. Alternatively, you can join a paid survey site that has already established links with various marketing companies. These are companies that might charge you a fee, for access to their network of marketing firms but will also pay you once you are done taking the survey.

So how do you find out if the proposal on the net is scam or fraud? There are a few ways by which you can determine this. First of all, when you go through the website, does it seem genuine, check if there are there any testimonials by people who have worked and benefited from the same. You can also click on the contact information link to see if there are any names or numbers or maybe an email id for you to touch base with. If there are, you can contact them to know if the business proposition is legitimate or not.

Do a search in one of the internet search engines such as Google, or Yahoo! using the business name plus the word "scam" as key words. See if there are any pages that people have put up warning that the program is scam. Get in touch with your friends or colleagues to check if they have heard of this company or if they can help you do a background check. All this will help you conclude if it is indeed a scam or genuine.

Alternatively, you can also look through the message boards related to working at home, where people like yourself post messages and share their experiences. This will give you indepth information about the venture you are pondering about and enlighten you about various other options available that you can explore. There are many forums and groups of the net where people sign up to learn more about the web world, to get guidance from others who have more experience in online businesses. Seek their guidance before taking the plunge so you protect yourself from scams and leverage on good opportunities.