Is stuffing envelopes a legitimate work from home job?

It’s quite surprising that scammers continue to promote envelope stuffing as a legitimate work from home job.

I can tell you firsthand that stuffing envelopes with cash is a scam.

How do I know? A long time ago I was a victim of the envelope stuffing scam.

You see, when I was in college, I worked part-time waiting tables. However, even though I made a lot of money, between my class schedule and my studies, I was only able to work a few shifts a week. So you can imagine my excitement when I found a flyer on a school bulletin board advertising envelope stuffing jobs.

The brochure said 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 fit in between classes and how much extra money I would earn per week; My life was going to be so much easier!

The brochure instructed me to send them an initial fee of $12.00 for information on how to get started. I was so excited about the opportunity that I overlooked the red flags, like sending payment to an anonymous PO box or the excessively high pay rates for entry-level jobs.

I waited for weeks for the information to arrive. When he finally did, I anxiously opened the envelope and discovered that this so-called envelope-stuffing job was a pyramid scam.

The letter told me to promote the same scam I had just fallen for: by placing a wanted ad for envelope stuffers. Then, when people respond to your ad, send them the same false information about how to replicate the scam.

I was so disappointed.

This wasn’t a job. It was unethical information about how to scam people out of money. Luckily, I only lost $12.00.

Is the envelope stuffing scam still in effect?

Unfortunately, I still see scams related to envelope stuffing on the Internet and on various social media sites, except that the cost of this false information is usually $50 to $150. Last year, the scam evolved into the side hustle of “letter writing,” where you can supposedly earn $5 for every handwritten letter you write to corporations.

With this letter sending scheme, they attract people with high incomes for little or no work, but to learn how to do it, you must buy an expensive course. The information then details how to write handwritten letters to casinos to win up to $5 in casino credits. The credits you earn are not cash; They are credits that you must use to bet online and we all know that betting is not a reliable way to make money.

So why are so many people on social media promoting this letter writing job as a legitimate opportunity? Since they are affiliates of the course and make money every time, someone buys the course from them. It’s like the envelope stuffing scam, so don’t fall for this scam!

In Tory Johnson’s book, “Will work from home”, try these fake online jobs with a few different companies, and none of them worked. In her book, she says: “Recruiting people to stuff envelopes is the oldest work-from-home trick that fools people every day. Don’t be one of them.”

Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ​​have alerts on their websites warning people about this scam. In fact, the United States Postal Service (USPS) says envelope stuffing is the most common work-from-home scam (the other is the packing scam).

And if you think about it, why would a company that needs filled envelopes use a person for this task when it can use a machine that folds, inserts and seals 1,320 envelopes in one hour? There is no way a human being can work that fast and no company will pay top dollar for this unskilled task.

Are there legitimate envelope stuffing jobs?

Every once in a while, on sites like LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed, you’ll come across an ad for a legitimate envelope-stuffing job. However, it is usually an unpaid volunteer position where you go into an office and help a charity stuff envelopes for their fundraising. Other times, you’ll see in-person job openings for receptionists, data entry and mailroom clerks, and customer service representatives, where stuffing envelopes is a small part of their job duties. And these positions typically pay between $13 and $20 an hour, not $2 to $10 an envelope!

Generally, you won’t find work from home where you’ll be stuffing envelopes as part of your job duties, since sending mass quantities of letters, envelopes, and postage stamps to a worker’s home would be cost-prohibitive for the employer.

What should you do if you have fallen for this scam?

If you have fallen for 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 where you purchased the information and request a refund. Be sure to tell them that if they don’t refund your money, you will contact officials to further investigate their operations.

If you are unable to resolve the situation, contact the FTC (1-877-FTC-HELP) to report the problem. You can also contact your local US Postal Inspection Service. Since these scammers use PO Boxes to conduct their fraudulent operations, they will investigate these fraudulent mailing practices.

What to keep in mind when looking for work from home jobs

When searching for work from home jobs, you should take your time and thoroughly research the job opportunity.

Scammers know they can make quick and easy money by taking advantage of people’s vulnerabilities. What I mean by vulnerabilities is that when people are struggling to make ends meet, or need to be home to welcome a new baby or aging parent, there is a sense of urgency and desperation, and these scammers know it. So, they create fake job offers to appeal to these emotions.

The second reason scams are so prevalent is that technology has made it easier than ever to distribute them while hiding behind a digital curtain.

For these reasons, it is more important than ever to educate yourself about what is legitimate and what is not.

Here are some red flags job seekers should watch out for:

1. Negative reviews and complaints online.
2. No contact information (physical address, phone number, or email address) – scammers don’t want to be found.
3. Vague job descriptions.
4. Claims for a lot of money with little or no effort on your part.
5. Pressure to act quickly.
6. Unsolicited job offers.
7. Bad spelling, punctuation and grammar.
8. Interviews through messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and Messenger.
9. Impostor Scams: Fake companies posing as real companies using free email addresses like Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and Hotmail.
10. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Real Life Work From Home Jobs to Explore

If you’re an aspiring envelope stuffer, you’ll probably be disappointed that envelope stuffing isn’t legit. However, there are many other legitimate work from home jobs worth exploring.

1. Data entry assistant

Becoming a remote data entry operator could be your calling if you are a fast, accurate typist with excellent written communication skills. In these roles, you will verify and enter data into spreadsheets and online databases. You may also be assigned other administrative tasks, such as answering emails and online research.

To find legitimate companies with remote job openings, check out:

2. Graphic designer

If you’re experienced using programs like Adobe Photoshop or Canva, you can create elements such as logos, sales letters, business cards, labels, printables, and other promotional materials. As a graphic designer, you can freelance on a project-by-project basis or apply for full-time jobs. According to the US Bureau of Labor StatisticsThe average hourly wage for a graphic designer is $31.11 per hour.

Check out these online job boards for graphic design jobs:

3. Online tutor

If you have experience in a subject like math, English, biology, or nursing, you may be able to earn extra money tutoring students online. There are tons of online platforms that connect students with teachers in a wide variety of subjects. Tutoring jobs tend to have flexible work schedules and most jobs are independent hire roles. To start working as a tutor, you must prove your experience by taking a preliminary exam or presenting appropriate documentation.

You can find online tutoring jobs at:

4. Transcriber

Transcriptionists listen to audio files and transcribe (write) them into written documents. Transcription jobs tend to be self-employed positions and require fast and accurate typing skills, excellent listening skills, and a solid knowledge of the English language. The nice thing about these positions is that they offer flexible hours and you can usually take on as much or as little as you can.

You can find transcription jobs online at:

5. Virtual assistant jobs

Virtual assistants, VAs for short, are trained professionals who handle a wide variety of administrative tasks depending on the client’s needs. Tasks may include scheduling, calendar maintenance, data entry, writing, editing, travel booking, marketing, and more. Virtual assistants must be detail-oriented, have excellent communication skills, and have excellent time management.

If this sounds like your dream job, check out:

6. Ways to earn extra money

If you want to make a little money in your free time, consider short-term jobs, where you can work on projects like AI training, translation, creative writing, paid surveys, search engine evaluation, and more.

To explore 1099 companies, see:

Legitimate Alternatives to Envelope Stuffing

If you’re still uncomfortable with searching for work from home, check out the paid membership site FlexJobs. Each of the jobs listed on their website is manually vetted for legitimacy. Therefore, when you apply, you can be sure that you will not fall victim to a work from home scam. Not only does it Flexible jobs They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but they also offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.

Want more legitimate work from work-from-home opportunities? Sign up for my free newsletter, where I send new vetted remote job opportunities twice a week.

Have you encountered the envelope stuffing scam? What other fraudulent opportunities have you found?