It’s quite surprising that scammers are still advertising envelope stuffing as a legitimate work-from-home job.
I can tell you firsthand that stuffing cash into envelopes is a scam.
How do I know? A long time ago, I was a victim of a stuffed envelope scam.
Well, when I was a student, I worked part-time as a waiter. However, although I was making a decent income, I was only able to work a few shifts a week due to my class schedule and studying. So you can imagine my excitement when I spotted a flyer on the school bulletin board advertising a job as an envelope stuffer from home.
The flyer said you could earn $2 per envelope while working from the comfort of your home.
I immediately started calculating how many envelopes I could stuff between classes and how much extra income I could earn per week. My life would be so much easier!
The flyer said to send a $12.00 advance payment for information on how to get started. I was so excited about the opportunity that I overlooked red flags like paying to an anonymous PO box and extremely high salaries for entry-level jobs.
I waited weeks for information. When it finally happened, I anxiously tore open the envelope and discovered that this so-called envelope-stuffing job was a pyramid scheme.
The letter told me to advertise the same scam I had just been scammed into by posting job ads and flyers for envelope stuffers. Then, once the user interacts with your ad, send them the same false information on how to reproduce the scam.
Very disappointed.
This wasn’t a job. It was unethical information on how to scam people out of money. Fortunately, I only lost $12.00.
Does the stuffed envelope scam still exist?
Sadly, we still see posts online and on social media stuffing envelopes for quick cash, but the cost of this misinformation is typically between $50 and $150. Over the past year, the scam has evolved into a side hustle called “letter writing,” where you can earn $5 for each handwritten letter addressed to a company.
This letter writing scheme lures people in with the promise of large incomes for little or no work, but to learn how to do it, you have to purchase an expensive course. Additionally, this information details how to write a handwritten letter to the casino to earn up to $5 in casino credit. Earned credits are not cash. Those are credits that must be used for gambling, and we all know that gambling is not a reliable way to make money.
So why are so many people on social media promoting this letter writing job as a legitimate opportunity? These people are affiliates of the course and make money every time someone buys the course through them. This is the same as the stuffed envelope scam, so be sure not to fall for it.
in tori johnson’s book “I’ll be working from home,” she says, testing these fake online job openings with several tools. None of those companies did well. In her book, she says: “Recruiting people to stuff envelopes is the oldest work-from-home ploy that fools people every day. Don’t be that person.
Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) have posted alerts on their websites warning people about this scam. In fact, the United States Postal Service (USPS) says envelope stuffing is the most common work-from-home scam (another one is packaging scams).
And if you think about it, why would a company that needs to stuff envelopes use an individual to do this job when they have machines that can fold, insert, and seal 1,320 envelopes in an hour? There’s no way a human could do it that fast, and no company would pay that much for this simple task.
Are there legitimate envelope stuffing jobs?
You may come across ads for legitimate envelope stuffing jobs on sites like LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. But it’s usually an unpaid volunteer position where you go into the office and help charities stuff their fundraising envelopes. We also see in-person job openings for receptionists, data entry and mailroom clerks, and customer service representatives, but stuffing envelopes is just one part of the job. And these positions typically pay $13 to $20 per hour instead of $2 to $10 per envelope.
It’s generally prohibitive for employers to send large quantities of letters, envelopes, and stamps to employees’ homes, so you won’t find work-at-home jobs where you stuff envelopes as part of your job duties.
What should I do if I fall victim to this scam?
If you are a victim of this scam, contact your bank or credit card company and request a stop payment order. If the money is already gone, contact the company you purchased the information from to request a refund. If they don’t refund your money, be sure to let them know that you will contact the authorities to further investigate the operation.
If you are unable to resolve the situation, please contact the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP to report the issue. You can also contact your local U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Investigate these fraudulent email campaigns because these scammers use PO Boxes to carry out their fraud.
Things to keep in mind when looking for a work-from-home job
When looking for a work-from-home job, you should take the time to research a wide range of job postings.
Scammers know that they can exploit people’s weaknesses to make quick and easy money. What I mean by vulnerability is That there is a sense of urgency and desperation when people struggle to make ends meet or have to stay home to care for a new baby or elderly parents. Scammers know this. So they create fake job listings to appeal to these emotions.
The second reason scams are so prevalent is that technology has made it easier than ever to distribute them while hiding behind digital curtains.
For these reasons, it’s more important than ever to understand what’s legal and what’s not.
Here are some red flags that job seekers should be aware of:
- Negative reviews and complaints online.
- No contact information (address, phone number, email address) – Scammers don’t want to be discovered.
- Ambiguous job description.
- You can charge a lot of money with little or no effort on your part.
- Pressure to act quickly.
- Unsolicited job openings.
- Poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
- Interview via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Messenger.
- Impersonation scams – Fake companies using free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and Hotmail to pretend to be real companies.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Take a look at actual work-from-home jobs
If you’re someone who aspires to stuff envelopes, you’ll probably be disappointed to learn that envelope stuffing isn’t legal. However, there are many other legitimate work-from-home jobs worth considering.
1. Calligrapher
If you have a talent for calligraphy or hand lettering, you may be able to make more money by customizing gifts, addressing wedding invitations, or creating fonts. Although jobs in these fields can sometimes be found online, most are in-person jobs in stores creating personalized decorations, signs, and gifts.
If this sounds appealing to you, starting a home-based business as a calligraphy artist is your best bet. Marketplaces like Etsy, Creative Market, and Fiverr allow you to quickly and easily sell a variety of personalized products, digital downloads, and services.
One calligrapher who has achieved success in this career is Shinah of Crooked Calligraphy. In fact, she’s so successful that she earns a full-time income from her calligraphy, working with clients like Disney, Nordstrom, and Anthropologie. Her website is full of resources, including how to price her services.
2. Data entry clerk
If you have excellent written communication skills and are a fast and accurate typist, becoming a remote data entry operator may be your calling. These roles validate and enter data into spreadsheets and online databases. You may also be assigned other administrative tasks, such as answering emails or conducting online surveys.
To find legitimate companies with remote job openings, check out:
3. Intake Specialist
Intake Specialists typically serve as the first point of contact and collect information, enter data, answer questions, schedule appointments, receive messages, and perform other duties related to their role. Many intake specialists work in the legal or medical fields and work with new and existing clients. According to Indeed, Intake Specialists earn an average hourly wage of $20.57.
To find remote work as an Intake Specialist, explore below.
4. Graphic designer
If you’re skilled at using programs like Adobe Photoshop or Canva, you can create items such as logos, sales letters, business cards, labels, printed materials, and other promotional materials. As a graphic designer, you can do freelance work on a project-by-project basis or apply for a full-time position. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for graphic designers is $29.47.
For graphic design jobs, check out these online job boards:
5. Online tutoring
If you have expertise in math, English, biology, nursing, etc., you may be able to earn additional income by tutoring students online. There are many online platforms that connect students and teachers across a variety of subjects. Tutoring jobs tend to have flexible hours, and most jobs are independent contract work. To start working as a tutor, you need to prove your expertise by taking a preliminary exam or submitting appropriate documentation.
Online tutoring jobs can be found at:
6. Transcriber
A transcriptionist listens to an audio file and transcribes (types) it into a document. Transcription jobs are often independent contractors and require quick and accurate typing skills, good listening skills, and a solid understanding of the English language. The good thing about these positions is that they allow for flexible scheduling and you can usually take on as much work as you can handle.
Online transcription jobs can be found at:
7. Virtual Assistant Jobs
Virtual assistants (VAs for short) are skilled professionals who handle a variety of administrative tasks based on the needs of their clients. Duties may include scheduling, calendar maintenance, data entry, writing, editing, travel booking, marketing, and more. Virtual assistants must be detail-oriented, have excellent communication skills, and be good at time management.
If this sounds like a dream job, check out below.
8. How to make extra cash
If you’re looking to make some extra money in your spare time, consider short-term task gigs where you can work on projects like AI training, translation, creative writing, paid surveys, and search engine ratings.
Check out the 1099 companies below.
A legitimate alternative to stuffed envelopes
If you’re still feeling anxious about finding a work-from-home job, check out FlexJobs, a paid membership site. All jobs posted on the website are manually reviewed for legitimacy. Therefore, you will not fall victim to work-from-home scams, so please apply with confidence. FlexJobs not only has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but we also offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
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Have you ever encountered a stuffed envelope scam? What other scam opportunities have you encountered?
