With unemployment at its highest level in almost three decades as of this writing, many are looking for home-based work opportunities. Unfortunately, this also means work-from-home jobs scams are on the rise.

However, they are pretty easy to avoid if you know what to look out for. Following are three things to look out for that will tell you if a home based work opportunity is real. If you keep this advice in mind, you should have no problem avoiding work-from-home jobs scams.

1. Application Fees: You should never have to "pay for work." Many scammers make their opportunity seem legitimate by asking for application fees (aka application processing fee). These fees usually range from a low of $9.95 on up to about $35 or $40 a pop.

Don't fall for it. Legitimate home-based work is fee free, i.e, there are no fees of any kind -- ever.

2. Personal Information: In some countries (mostly European), it is common to list personal information like age and date of birth on your resume (CV). This is not common in the United States. In fact, it's discouraged. Giving out personal information like this (especially a Social Security number) can easily be used to steal your identity.

If a home-based work opportunity asks you to fill out an online application, don't give out your social security number or any other personal information until you've done your due diligence (e.g, do a web search on the company, check with the Better Business Bureau).

A resume is enough initially -- no personal information beyond what is provided there is needed. If a company is serious about hiring you, there will come a time where you will have to give out personal information -- but make sure there's a real company behind it. Google them, find an address, get a telephone number, etc.

If a company is corresponding with you only by email and you never speak with an actual person or are able to find out any info about the company in a web search, don't even consider continuing with the application process.

3. You Receive Money: Some home-based work opportunities are so elaborate and seem so real that many are easily sucked in. One of the most popular of these is where you receive money. There are several variations, but it goes something like this:

You receive a check in the mail -- usually for several thousand dollars. It looks authentic. It can be for anything from a foreign lottery you've won, to government benefits (e.g, stimulus checks), to advance payment for a work-from-home job.

It has your correct name, address, an official bank name -- everything. You may even call and verify that the bank is real -- and it may be. You are always asked to call a number to verify/authenticate/get further instructions. And, this is the part that should send off alarm bells.

Once they get you on the phone, they'll tell you to deposit the check and will at some point ask you to wire funds back to them for "overpayment or taxes or processing fees, etc." This may happen during the initial call, or a few days or weeks later, after the check has "cleared."

And, the check very well may "clear." Only, not for long. By the time you've wired them the funds for "overpayment or taxes or processing fees," you get a call from your bank saying that the check bounced; that it was a fraud. And you're on the hook for the money, because the crooks have disappeared.

Remember, there is no legitimate reason for any employer to give you a check or money order, then ask you to wire money anywhere in return -- ever. It is always a work-from-home job scam if this happens.

Did you know? According to the MSNBC article, Easy check fraud technique draws scrutiny, ". . . checking account numbers are just as valuable to criminals as credit card numbers . . . Armed with just a checking account number and bank routing number [found on every check], criminals can create checks at whim, experts and law enforcement authorities say."

Are you at risk for being scammed by a home-based work opportunity? Take the test at fakechecks [ends in "dot org"], then click on "Fraud Test." It's test number 6.

There Are Legitimate Home Based Work Opportunities

Want a legitimate home based opportunity? Become a freelance writer. You don't need any experience and you can get started right away if you have a computer.

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