There is a way to be able to stay home and make money without having to spend a dime. Legitimate work from home positions can be found all over the Internet. How do you know if the work offered by a company is legitimate? There are a few warning signs you should be aware of before you apply for any home based position. Work At Home positions have become quite popular, especially since the economy has gone south. Home based positions are not business opportunities that you have to pay for in order to work. These home based positions are paid positions via employee or contract work and they do not require you to pay an upfront fee to work for them.

Basic Warning signs to be aware of when searching for a home based work:

• Problems with contact information – If you get not response from email or phone communication, or if the email bounces back to you or the phone number is busy or not available

• You are asked to pay a fee before starting work – No legitimate company that is offering a Work At Home position should ask for upfront money

• You are required to provide personal information prior to employment or contract confirmation – If any company asks for your driver’s license number, social security number or any other personal information before you are hired or contracted they could be trying to steal your identity

There are other warning signs you may notice when you are searching for legitimate home based work positions. If you suspect any kind of fraud when you are seeking Work At Home jobs, you should immediately run a check via the Internet to see if there is such a company in existence or if there have been any scam or fraud claims reported against them.

You should understand that when you are offered legitimate work from a freelance, contract or employee based company that you will have to provide your personal information for tax purposes. They are responsible for reporting to the IRS just like you are. They have to provide you with a W2 or a 1099 at the end of the year just like an offline company does. This information should not be given prior to contract or employment acceptance by both parties.

The requirements for these positions will vary depending on the type of work you are qualified for or are doing. Almost all Work At Home positions require a broadband Internet connection, a landline phone, a PC with specific RAM, Hard drive and OS requirements, a multi-function printer, a media player and other work specific software that may or may not be provided by the company. Some home job positions require specialized software that in some cases the company provides online access to or provides a download for it.

Make sure you understand the requirements of Work At Home employment, freelance or contract work and ask a lot of questions before you apply. You can find a great home based job that pays well, saves you gas money, car maintenance expenses and allows you to make your own hours. You can spend more time with your family and have fun with a job you really love when you choose home based employment or contract work.