It’s very surprising how scammers are still promoting stuffing stuffing as a legal job from working from home.
You can directly tell them that packing envelopes into cash is a scam.
How can I know? Long ago, I was a victim of envelope fraud.
You know, when I was in college, I was working part-time waiting tables. However, even if I made good money between my class schedule and my studies, I could only work a few shifts a week. So, when you spot a flyer on a message board at the school advertising envelope stuffer work, you can imagine my excitement.
Flyer claimed that he could earn $2.00 per envelope while working from the comfort of his home.
I quickly started calculating how many envelopes I could stuff between classes and how much extra money I could make per week. My life has become so easy!
The flyer instructed me to send a $12.00 advance fee for information on how to get started. I was very excited by the opportunity to send payments to an anonymous PO box or to send payments to high and expensive fees for entry-level work.
I waited weeks for the information to arrive. When I finally did it, I opened the envelope with concern and learned that this so-called envelope dodging job was a pyramid scam.
The letter told me to promote the same scam that just fell by placing the ads I wanted for the envelope stuffing. Then, once people respond to your ads, they send you the same fake information about how to replicate the scam.
I was very disappointed.
This was not work. It was unethical information about how to scam people out of money. Luckily I only lost $12.00.
Are the stuffing still scams around today?
Sadly, I still see scams related to envelope stuffing on the internet and various social media sites, but the cost of this fake information is usually between $50 and $150! Last year, fraud evolved into a fuss on the “letter writing” side. There you can earn $5 for every handwritten letter you write.
This letter writing scheme seduces people who earn big incomes with little work, but to get information on how to do this, you will need to buy expensive courses. This information then goes into detail how to earn up to $5 in casino credits and write a handwritten letter to the casino. The credit you earn is not cash. They are the credits you have to use for gambling online and we all know that gambling is not a reliable way to make money.
So why are so many people on social media promoting this letterwriting gig as a legitimate opportunity? They are course affiliates and make money every time, so someone buys the course from them. Don’t fall into this scam, as it’s like a scam packed with envelopes!
In Tory Johnson’s book, “Will Work from Home,” she tested these fake online jobs with several different companies, but no one pans out. In her book, she says: “Employing people to stuff the envelope is the oldest piece from the gimmicks in their homes that trick 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 US Postal Service (USPS) says that filling envelopes is the most common task in home scams (the other one packs scams).
And if you think about it, why would a company that needs an envelope use an individual for this task when it is possible to use a machine that folds, inserts and seals 1,320 envelopes in an hour? No company can pay high dollars for this unskilled task, as humans cannot work that quickly.
Is there a job to stuff a legitimate envelope?
Occasionally, you run into ads on sites like LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, and in fact for the work of legal envelope staff. But it usually takes up an unpaid volunteer job to get in the office and help charity envelopes for their fundraising. You will also see in-person job openings for receptionists, data entry and mailroom clerks, and customer service representatives whose enclosed envelopes are a small part of their duties. And these positions usually pay $13-20 per hour instead of $2-10 per envelope!
Generally, you cannot find a job that packs envelopes as part of your workplace obligations. Sending large numbers of letters, envelopes and postal stamps to workers’ homes costs employers.
What if I’m dropped because of this scam?
If you fall into this scam, contact your bank or credit card company to have you issue a suspended payment order. If you have already run out of money, try contacting the company where you purchased the information and request a refund. Tell them that if they don’t refund your money, you will contact officials to further investigate their business.
If you are unable to resolve the situation, please contact the FTC (1-877-FTC-HELP) and report the issue. You can also contact your local US Postal Inspection Service. These scammers use PO boxes to perform fraud operations, so they investigate these fraudulent email practices.
What to watch out for when looking for work from home?
When you’re looking for work from home, you need to take your time and extensively investigate work opportunities!
Scammers know that by preying on people’s vulnerabilities, they can make quick and easy money. What I mean is vulnerability is when people struggle to achieve their goals or need to stay home for new babies or older parents, and these con artists know this. Therefore, they create their fake work list to appeal to these feelings.
The second reason fraud is so common is that technology has made it easier than ever to distribute fraud while hiding behind digital curtains.
For these reasons, it is more important than ever to educate yourself about what is legal and what is not.
Here are the red flags that job seekers should be aware of:
- Negative reviews and complaints online.
- No contact information (physical address, phone number, or email address) – I don’t want to be found a scammer.
- Ambiguous job description.
- A big sum of money claims that have little or no effort on your part.
- Pressure to act quickly.
- Unsolicited job openings.
- Poor spelling, punctuation, grammar.
- Interviews via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Messenger.
- Scam Scam – Fake companies disguising themselves as real companies using free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, Hotmail and more.
- If that seems too good, it is probably.
Actual work from home to explore
If you’re an ambitious envelope stuffing, you can be disappointed that envelope stuffing is not legal. However, there are many other legitimate jobs from home jobs worth exploring.
1. Data Entry Clerk
Becoming a remote data entry operator might be your call if you are a fast and accurate typist with excellent written communication skills. Review and fill in the data in spreadsheets and online databases for these roles. You can also assign other administrative tasks, such as answering emails or online surveys.
Check to find a legal company with a remote job list.
2. Graphic Designer
If you are skilled in using programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Canva, you can create items such as logos, sales letters, business cards, labels, printed materials and other promotional materials. As a graphic designer, you can either freelance work on each project or apply for a full-time job. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for a graphic designer is $31.11 per hour.
Check out these online job posting boards for graphic design jobs.
3. Online Tutor
If you have expertise in subjects like mathematics, English, biology, nursing, and more, you may be able to make extra money tutoring students online. There are many online platforms that connect students to teachers of various subjects. Tutor gigs tend to have flexible working hours, and most gigs are the role of independent contracts. To begin working as a private tutor, you will need to prove your expertise by taking preliminary exams and submitting appropriate documents.
Online tutoring jobs can be found:
4. Transcription agent
The transcript listens to the audio file and transfers (types) it into the written document. Transcription jobs tend to be independent contract positions, requiring quick and accurate typing skills, excellent listening skills and a solid grasp of English. The good thing about these positions is that they provide flexible scheduling, which usually allows you to take on as much or as little as you can handle.
Online transcription jobs can find:
5. Virtual Assistant Job
VA Virtual Assistant for short is a skilled professional who handles a variety of administrative tasks based on the needs of the client. Duties include scheduling, calendar maintenance, data entry, writing, editing, booking trips, marketing, and more. A virtual assistant must be detail oriented, have excellent communication skills and a great time handler.
If this sounds like a dream job, check it out:
6. How to make extra cash
If you want to make a little money in your spare time, consider short task gigs that allow you to work on projects like AI training, translation, creative writing, paid research, search engine evaluation, and more!
Check out for 1099 companies to explore.
A valid alternative to envelope filling
If you are still worried about your job hunting at home, check out the paid membership site FlexJobs. All the jobs listed on their website are hand drawn for legitimacy. So, applying will not be a prey to a home scam job, so you can rest assured. FlexJobs not only has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but also offers a money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
Want to do more legitimate work from a work-from-home lead? Sign up for our free newsletter. There, we send new, vetted remote job leads twice a week.
Have you encountered a stuffing envelope scam? What other unfair opportunities did you encounter?
It was originally published on March 31, 2009. The content was updated in December 2024.