LOS ANGELES – There's one more reason to be very careful about signing on for a work-at-home job. Some of them are outright scams.
"I thought it was going to be worth it because I get to work from home. This is fantastic," explained Daniel Di-Maio.
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It sounded goo, but Di-Maio was actually caught in the middle of a sophisticated re-shipping scheme.
"People from overseas who in most cases have stolen credit cards numbers, use those numbers to order merchandise from American companies," explained US Postal Inspector Steve Bloz. "These companies often won't send things overseas so they have to recruit an American a middle person to receive this merchandise."
The con-artists offered Di-Maio $50 for every package he sent and said he may get up to 15 in one month.
"I was at $2,700,so I was on top of the world thinking I was getting a fantastic pay day, until it didn't come," said Di-Maio.
"There will be a promise of $50 a parcel, but it is all bogus," explained Bolz. "At the end of the day they will never see a dime."
Di-Maio learned this lesson quickly and called Postal Inspectors.
He admitted, "When I really realized it was a scam I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm an idiot'."
Inspectors say reshippers often lose money. Many are asked to buy packing supplies and scales and are told they will be reimbursed.
"I tell people if it deals with another country and some kind of commerce or business dealings with a foreign country -- look out, it may be a scam," warned Bolz.
Postal Inspectors say it is important to always check out the business trying to recruit you. Check their website and the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the company.