Tough economic times usually drive growth in the Network Marketing and Direct Sales industries. Unfortunately, this same economic climate attracts scam artists and hypesters. Buyer Beware! Here’s an excerpt from an article about what the FTC is doing to bust the scammers:

If you’ve ever tried finding a work-at-home job online, you know most all of them are scams. The Federal Trade Commission has now caught on. Today, nearly a dozen lawsuits were filed against companies who were promising to help unemployed customers make thousands of dollars a week, from the comfort of their own homes.

Some of the companies promised they could help you get a federal job, work as a movie extra or mystery shopper. Others promised you could make hundreds if not thousands of dollars stuffing envelopes or addressing postcards.

With the U.S. unemployment rate just under 10 percent, hundreds of thousands of people fell for these schemes.

Here are some of the companies the FTC is suing: Government Careers, Inc., Real Wealth, Inc., Darling Angel Pin Creations, Abili-Staff, Ltd., Entertainment Work, Inc., Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc., Prefferred Platinum Services Network, Job Safety USA, Career Hotline, Inc., Penbrook Productions, International Marketing

Check out the whole article for a complete list of companies the FTC is suing and the allegations against them