Remember the ads you used to see in the newspaper that offered the secret to making $10,000 a month and all you had to do was send $10 to the box number listed? Well, that scam has now moved to the Internet, and takes various forms.

One good example is mystery shopping. This is a service run by a company on behalf of corporations or chains, who are checking on the quality of the various branches.

Many home-based moms are attracted to the idea because you get paid for shopping, dining out, or staying at hotels. But some of them end up paying for the secret to getting this cushy job, when there is none. All you will get for sending your money, is a list of firms that legitimately hire mystery shoppers, or instructions on how to surf the Net for mystery shopping jobs.

And that, you can do yourself. There are many legitimate mystery shopping offers and many firms will allow you to apply online, and after passing their qualification tests, you’re in. Without paying. But don’t count on it for the big checks that the scams say you can get.

If you want more information on legitimate mystery shopping, check out the Secret Shopper Club. This guide really focuses on how to find the best paying mystery shopping jobs that you’ll enjoy the most. This guide is written by an experienced mystery shopper who is now sharing her secrets. It’s not simply a list of companies you can work with, but real tips on finding the right jobs.

Or, how about free offers? Who doesn’t like to get a makeup kit, perfume, etc. for absolutely nothing? If the offer is on the website of a major retailer or manufacturer, it’s likely valid.

First look at the page itself. Is it well done? Are there grammatical and spelling errors? Some say to beware if it just a one or two page site, but many above-the-level companies use this style, so that is not a sure clue.

Instead, look more closely at the site. Do you find a lot of paid ads or links on it for other products/sites? Then what you have come across is generally one of two things: either someone who is gathering your information to sell, and there is no free offer, or someone who has set up a page to make money from clicks on the other sites/links, and the form actually leads nowhere. Either way, you’re the loser.

If you’d like a legitimate free offer, click here.