Try doing this. Go to your preferred search engine and type: home-based jobs, online jobs or jobs over the Internet. Now click on search and wait. If you really did this, then you are more likely to come up with thousands or millions of hits. And this number only means one thing: more and more people are looking for online companies who provide employment work at home.Why, you ask?Well the answer is quite simple. Employment work at home is in demand because one, they require less manual work. Two, they sometimes pay better than most part-time jobs and three, online jobs do not require you to stay in front of your computer the entire day. As long as you finish the task assigned to you, you are free to go and do whatever it is that you enjoy doing.That sounds great right? But here is a reality check, not all of those jobs are legit. Just like in the real world, scams are also rampant online. But are these scams enough reason to keep you away from trying to earn online?They should not because you can always do the following steps to prevent you from being victimized:1. If you are a home – based writer who writes under someone else’s name, it will always be best to keep a file of your works saved in your computer. These works can be published on your own blog if your editor refuses to pay you or if they suddenly disappeared out of the blue. By doing this, you can rightfully claim ownership of your article/s that were published previously.2. For online sellers, never agree to mail in your merchandise before payment is completed. In addition, you have to be wary with international customers who purchase items in bulk. This is because according to some research these customers have more likelihood in getting involved with credit card fraud. So it will always be better to contact those buyers personally and verify their orders prior to shipping their items.3. If you are looking for data entry or transcription jobs, make it a point to steer clear from membership sites who promise to give you a job in exchange for a charge in your credit or debit card. Why? Because it does not make sense! Your employer should be the one paying you and not vice versa.4. Avoid jobs that promise you to earn thousands of dollars in a matter of days. While the whole idea sounds tempting, you just have to admit that those claims are over – the – top if not bogus. So it is better keep your expectations at a minimum and look for companies who give reasonable compensation but can deliver.5. Finally, before tying yourself up with a specific company, make sure that you do your part of research. Look for feedbacks in the forums, search for company information and contact details. Make sure that all the data they provide you is valid just so you know where to go and call if you need some follow up with payments.In the end, it only boils down to one thing: following your instincts. If you have doubts and if you feel that the company and the jobs they offer are fraudulent, then do not go into it. After all, if you spend more time in looking, you will find that there are a lot of legitimate employment opportunities out there online that can pay you for work you produce for them at home.