While you do have to proceed with a bit of caution when searching for "work from home" jobs online, there are some legitimate opportunities to make decent money. Sites like elance.com connect companies with freelancers (that could be YOU).
Companies post projects and scope of work and freelancers place their bids. Once a bid is accepted, the freelancer and the hiring company connect and the freelancer performs the work. Projects can last from a few days, to a few months or even longer. Popular jobs include web designers, graphic designers, sales consultants, editors, proofreaders, writers and translators.
At the completion of a project, businesses can rate freelancers, so potential employers get a snapshot of the quality of your work. The higher the rating you maintain on the site (think eBay Powerseller model), the more future work will likely come your way. Makes perfect sense.
Related article by CNN's Gerry Willis: Q&A: Green-collar jobs and work-at-home scams
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