So do you ever wonder about all those home-based business opportunities that wind up in your email inbox? How many of them are the real deal, and how many of them are plain, old-fashioned scams?

FIRST of all, there aren't as many scams on the internet as the over-hyped mainline media would have you think. In fact, there really aren't any more scams taking place on the internet than in the offline world. Most opportunities are legitimate, even though many don't come across that way because they promote through hyping their income potential.

So if you're paranoid that everything you see is there to rip you off, well, relax! There has to be some basic level of trust for others when you go into business for yourself.

Of course, its probably not a good idea to believe the hype, either, but to thoroughly research any opportunity you find interesting and understand the work it takes to actually achieve what they say you can.

SECOND, USE YOUR CREDIT CARD. That's right, using a credit card on the internet is a GOOD thing, because the credit card companies protect you. You'll never be responsible for fraudulent use of your card, even if someone makes a counterfeit copy of it and begins, say, buying groceries in Mexico.

THIRD, the more you can find out about a company from 3rd-party sources, the safer you are. Are you dealing with a publicly- traded company? Companies listed on major exchanges such as the Nasdaq are subject to regulatory and reporting requirements that not only give you a layer of safety, they're also typically stronger companies. Also, what do mainstream business magazines have to say about them? Are their revenues growing, flat, or sinking?

FOURTH, do they have a 1-800 customer service line? Call it to see if an actual customer service person picks up.

FIFTH, What is the main company's website rank? A company whose web site is in the top 50,000 worldwide is a pretty safe bet. If it's in the top 10,000 (out of the millions out there), then it qualifies as one of the top sites around. With a web site that achieves either of these, you're about guaranteed that you're looking at a legitimate business.

If you don't know how to check the popularity of a web page, the simplest way is to use the Alexa toolbar. Alexa has a system for ranking the popularity of web pages based on the total traffic they generate. Just go to alexa.com and follow the simple steps there to download and install the toolbar in your web browser.

SIXTH, by doing a few independent Google searches and using a little common sense, it'll be pretty easy to know that you're dealing with a legitimate home-based business opportunity. Then you can get on with analyzing whether or not it's the right deal for you.

Dedicated to multiplying your income,

Simon