Millions of people each day browse websites to check for different money making ideas available online. There are many genuine and legitimate opportunities to make money online. Risk taking is involved in online investments. So, how do we choose the right method? Will we be able to earn enough if we work from home as per the online guidelines? Will we get paid well? Good research is required before we invest.

Investment analysts say, that the more risk you take, then only you reap profits. Top investment ideas include real estate investment, investment in gold, stock market, forex trading, mutual funds and money market. These investments help secure our future. There are few small business ideas that run well and reap profits too. These businesses won’t reap profits in the first few months, but they all have the potential to grow over a period of time. Few of the safe business start up ideas are being a webpreneur, consultant, house sitter / pet sitter, professional organizer, Avon independent sales representative, personal services – shopping & errands, desktop publishing, tutoring, eBay seller and secretarial service. These businesses need less investment or no investment at all.

Each one of us needs to beware of online investments. There are quite a lot of sites where they promise for 70% or more profits within a short duration. They are fake investment schemes / funds, mostly known as HYIP (High Yield Investment Program). “Internet fraud” uses online services to present fraudulent solicitations to prospective victims, to conduct fraudulent transactions, or to transmit the proceeds of fraud to financial institutions or to others connected with the scheme. Internet fraud can occur in chat rooms, e-mail, message boards, or websites.

According to the FBI and postal inspectors, there has been a significant surge in the use of Counterfeit Postal Money Orders and Counterfeit cashier’s check scam since October 2004. Few clues that can give a red flag for people who invest online are the link updates that include:

1) Company website is “under construction”
2) No company on file anywhere in specified country
3) the email is a “gmail” account
4) Grammar differences in the email.

Online business opportunity/”Work-at-Home” schemes are fraudulent schemes that often use internet to advertise purported business opportunities that will allow individuals to earn thousands of dollars a month in “work-at-home” ventures.

Let each one of us secure ourselves from the fraudulent schemes and reap benefit from safe business ideas. There is no shortcut to earn money!

About the author or the publisher: Sanjana Uthappa. N