There are more data entry scams out there than you can shake a stick at. Is there really still a way to make money online? Are there real and legitimate home based business options? The answer is a resounding, ?yes?. But, unfortunately, many people get burnt before finding something that's lucrative and legitimate. Many people give up before finding out that you really can make money through areas such as data entry.

Home based business opportunities are not in short supply. The legitimate ones are out there but there are a number of scams masquerading as real opportunities and those numbers are unfortunately greater than the valid opportunities. There's a wide array of people from all walks of life searching the internet daily for ways to make money on their computer and a myriad of people who take advantage and exploit people and bleed them dry. It's revolting to think that someone would prey on someone's desire to earn a living by taking advantage of them and taking their money but it's the harsh reality of online scams.

Many data entry scams are also known as type at home scams. The person is lured into believing they will make a lot of money by filling out simple forms. At one point in time there was the ability to make money via this medium in affiliate marketing advertisements but due to the evolution of pay per click advertising and the way the search engines operate today, this really isn't a very viable option. The offers for this type of business information for a price is still very abundant in cyberspace. Someone might fall prey to this idea only to find that it would cost them much more than they would earn in pay per click advertising fees.

There still is a lot of money to be made through affiliate marketing but like anything else on the Internet, money making opportunities that are real require you to research and learn the secrets and truths behind the business. If you are looking for a get rich quick scheme, you aren't likely to find one but you will find plenty of companies looking to scam you into believing that if you pay a price for their knowledge, that you can earn a pretty penny very quickly without a lot of effort.

Are there any real data entry jobs from home? Yes, there. There are many sources online for freelance work, virtual assistant jobs, telecommuters and medical transcription or legal transcription jobs. And, internet marketing is a very lucrative industry. There are companies who will pay you to do clerical work from home in many business areas as it's very popular to have a mobile workforce in this day and age. And, there are many companies looking to affiliate marketers to sell their wares for high commission rates. The secret is learning the difference between real opportunities and work at home scams.

In order to differentiate the real opportunities from the type at home scams, you need to do some homework and background checks. You should also be very wary of anyone asking you to pay money to work for them. True, some companies do offer training programs but the vast majority of real employers will either hire you with experience or train you for free. Be wary of companies that offer you expensive training courses or want to sell you training material but who cannot prove that that the training will net you a real job online. There are programs and e-books out there that you can pay for which give you insider secrets but it's a very good idea to look for product reviews from unbiased parties before taking the plunge and losing your investment.