The internet has made possible for a lot of people to start their own Home Business (Home-Based Business or HBB). For single parents and stay at home moms, that has been nothing short than a blessing and and amazing oportunity to have a home life and still have an income.
However, as in any other kind of business there are a lot of people out there trying to take advantage of people for their own purposes. A lot of "work-at-home schemes" can be found around the world wide web, such as:
"Medical billing. Ads for pre-packaged businesses - known as billing centers - are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you'll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There's "a crisis" in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open..." more at work-at-home schemes
"Envelope stuffing. Promoters usually advertise that, for a "small" fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later - when it's too late - you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you're likely to get a letter telling you to place the same "envelope-stuffing" ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you'll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad."
"Assembly or craft work. These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them..." more at work-at-home schemes
More info on home business, here and here.
Sadly, most are used to attract using the typical get rich scheme. The main theme is that it take very little effort to rake in the $$$.