Have you been enticed by one of the following little pay-now, learn-later “lifesavers” in your mailbox, inbox, or newspaper?

No experience necessary!

Act now!

You’re not sure what your job will be, but it sure will be simple. And after a lifetime of hard work, you’re okay with simple. Just a little up-front fee and voilà! You’ll be earning thousands a month—or even a week. Oh, and you’d better hurry to apply, because there’s a limited number of openings.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports that it continues to receive complaints about work-at-home scams. Victims are often hired to “process payments,” “transfer funds,” or “reship products.” These job scams involve receiving and cashing fraudulent checks, transferring illegally obtained funds for the criminal bosses, or receiving stolen merchandise and shipping it to the criminals.

Other folks have complained to the IC3 about signing up to become “mystery shoppers” but receiving fraudulent checks with instructions to cash the checks and wire the funds to “test” a company’s services. Victims are told they will be compensated with a portion of the merchandise or funds.

Know the difference here: You’re not creating a home-based business; you’re just part of someone else’s big idea on how to make money.

Over the years, the best-known work-at-home scams have been medical billing, envelope stuffing, and goods or crafts assembling. These required up-front fees, offered little business support, and produced few returns—save for lots of complaints, according to the Federal Trade Commission. These scams have been joined by multilevel marketing, chain letters, mystery shopping, discount or coupon programs, online business “opportunities,” and “repackaging scams.”

MSNBC reported on the latter last year. In repackaging scams, you’re paid $20 to $40 for every package you receive at home and then reship. You’re provided prepaid shipping labels and paid by a wire service such as Western Union. Turns out that your scheming bosses have bought goods online using stolen credit card numbers and then shipped them to you. You turn around and ship the goods to the thieves. But with your address on the online transaction, you’re the one authorities will go after when the credit card theft is discovered.

Work-at-home schemes can also be a front for someone looking to steal your identity, according to the IC3. Your supposed employer gets your Social Security number, bank account number for direct deposit, and other personal information. That information can then be used by the employer to open credit cards, post online auctions, and register Web sites in your name to commit additional crimes.