It’s quite amazing that scammers still promote envelope stuffing as a legitimate work from home job.
I can tell you firsthand that stuffing envelopes for money is a scam.
how should i know Once upon a time, I fell victim to an envelope stuffing scam.
You see, when I was in college, I worked part-time in the waiting rooms. Even though I made decent money, I could only work a few shifts a week between my class schedule and my studies. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a job posting in an envelope stuffer on the bulletin board at school.
The flyer claimed I could earn $2.00 per envelope, all while working from the comfort of my home.
I immediately started calculating how many envelopes I could stuff between classes and how much extra money I would make per week; my life will be much easier!
I was instructed in the flyer to send them a $12.00 up front fee for information on how to get started. I was so excited about this opportunity that I missed the warning signs like sending payment to an anonymous PO Box or extremely high salaries for entry level work.
I waited weeks for information. When it finally did, I anxiously tore open the envelope to learn that this so-called envelope stuffing job was a pyramid scheme.
The letter told me to promote the same scam I had just fallen for by placing an ad asking for envelopes. Then when people respond to your ad, send them the same fake information on how to repeat the scam.
I was so disappointed.
This wasn’t work. It was unethical information about how to scam people out of money. Luckily I only lost $12.00.
Is the stuffing scam still around today?
Unfortunately, I still see envelope stuffing scams on the internet and various social media sites, except that the price for this fake information is usually $50-$150! In the past year, this scam has evolved into a “letter writing” side hustle where you can supposedly earn $5 for every handwritten letter you write to corporations.
With this letter writing scheme, they are luring people with big earnings for little to no work, but to get the information on how to do it, you have to buy an expensive course. The information then details how to write handwritten letters to casinos to get up to $5 in casino credits. The credits you earn are not cash; they are credits that you have to use to play online 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 gig as a legitimate opportunity? Because they are affiliate partners of the course and they make money every time someone buys the course from them. It’s like an envelope stuffing scam, so don’t fall for this scam!
In Tora Johnson’s book “He will work from home,” tests these fake online jobs with several different companies and none of them ever succeed. In his book he says: “Hiring people to stuff envelopes is the oldest home trick that fools people every day. Don’t be one of them.”
As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) a A better business office (BBB) have a notice on their website alerting people to this scam. Actually, United States Postal Service (USPS) says that envelope stuffing is the most common household fraud (the second is packaging fraud).
And when you think about it, why would a company that needs envelopes stuffed use individuals for this task when they can use machine that it folds, inserts and seals 1,320 envelopes per hour? There is no way a human could work that fast and no company will pay top dollar for this unskilled task.
Are there any legitimate envelope stuffing jobs out there?
Occasionally, you’ll come across an ad for a legitimate envelope stuffer job on sites like LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. However, this is usually an unpaid volunteering position where you go into an office and help a charity stuff envelopes for their collection. Other times you will personally see vacancies for receptionistdata entry and filing, and customer service representativeswhere stuffing envelopes is a small part of their job duties. And these positions typically pay $13-20 an hour, not $2-10 per envelope!
In general, you won’t find a work-from-home job where you will stuff envelopes as part of your job duties, as sending massive amounts of letters, envelopes, and postage stamps to a worker’s home would be financially prohibitive for workers. employer.
What should you do if you have fallen for this scam?
If you have come across this scam, contact your bank or credit card company and ask them to issue a stop payment order. If the money is already gone, you can try contacting the company you purchased the information from and request a refund. Be sure to tell them that if they don’t refund your money, you will contact officials to investigate their operations further.
If you cannot resolve the situation, contact the FTC (1-877-FTC-HELP) and report the problem. You can also contact your local US Postal Inspection Service. Since these fraudsters are using PO Boxes to conduct their fraudulent operations, they will be investigating these fraudulent postal practices.
What to look out for when looking for work from home
When you search work from home jobsyou need to take the time to thoroughly research the job opportunity!
Scammers know they can make quick and easy money by exploiting people’s vulnerabilities. By vulnerability, I mean when people try to make ends meetor they need to be home for a new baby or an elderly parent, there is a sense of urgency and desperation and these scammers know it. So they create their fake job offers to appeal to these emotions.
The second reason fraud is so prevalent is that technology has made it easier to distribute fraud while hiding behind a digital veil.
For these reasons, it is more important than ever for you to educate yourself what is legitimate and what is not.
Here are some red flags for job seekers to look out for:
- Negative reviews and complaints online.
- No contact details (physical address, phone number or email address) – scammers don’t want to be found.
- Vague job descriptions.
- Big demands for money with little or no effort on your part.
- Pressure to act quickly.
- Unsolicited job offers.
- Poor spelling, punctuation and grammar.
- Conversations through messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and Messenger.
- Scams – Fake companies pretending to be real companies using free email addresses like Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud and Hotmail.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Real life jobs from working from home to exploring
If you’ve been an aspiring envelope-stuffer, you’ll probably be disappointed that envelope-stuffing isn’t legal. However, there are many other legitimate work-from-home jobs that are worth exploring.
1. Data entry clerk
Become a remote controller data insertion operator can be your job if you are a fast and accurate typist with excellent written communication skills. In these roles, you will validate and enter data into spreadsheets and online databases. You may also be assigned other administrative tasks such as answering emails and doing online research.
To find legitimate companies with remote job offers, check out:
2. Graphic designer
If you know how to use programs like Adobe Photoshop or Canva, you can create items like logos, sales letters, business cards, labels, print materials, and other promotional materials. As a graphic designeryou can freelance on a project-by-project basis or apply for full-time employment. According to US Bureau of Labor Statisticsthe average hourly rate for a graphic designer is $31.11 per hour.
Check out these online graphic design job boards:
3. Online Tutor
If you have expertise in a subject such as maths, english, biology or nursing, you may be able to tutoring for extra money students online. There are plenty of online platforms that connect students with teachers in a wide range of subjects. Teaching gigs tend to have flexible working hours and most gigs are independent contract roles. In order to start working as a tutor, you must prove your expertise by passing a preliminary exam or submitting relevant documentation.
Online tutor offers can be found at:
4. Transcriber
Transcribers listen to audio files and transcribe (type) them into written documents. Transcription jobs tend to be independent contract positions and require fast and accurate typing, excellent listening skills, and a solid command of the English language. The nice thing about these positions is that they offer flexible scheduling and you usually take on as much or as little as you can handle.
You can find online transcript assignments at:
5. The work of a virtual assistant
Virtual assistantsVAs for short, are experienced professionals who handle a wide range of administrative tasks based on client needs. Duties may include scheduling, calendar maintenance, data entry, writing, editing, travel reservations, marketing, and more. Virtual Assistants must be detail-oriented, have excellent communication skills, and be excellent time managers.
If this sounds like a dream job, check out:
6. Ways to make extra money
If you want to earn a little money in your spare time, consider short assignments where you can work on projects like AI training, translations, creative writing, paid surveys, search engine rankings and more!
To research 1099 companies, see:
Legitimate alternatives to stuffing envelopes
If you still don’t feel comfortable looking for work from home jobs – check out the paid membership pages FlexJobs. Every single job listed on their website is manually vetted for legitimacy. So when you sign up, you can be sure you won’t fall victim to a work-from-home scam. He doesn’t just do FlexJobs they have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, but they also offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
Want more legal work from home leads? Sign up for my free newsletterwhere I send out new vetted remote job offers twice a week.
Have you come across an envelope stuffing scam? What other scam opportunities have you come across?
Originally published March 31, 2009. Content updated December 2024.
