Ads and flyers often promise easy money for stuffing envelopes at home in your spare time. But sadly, envelope stuffing jobs that sound too good to be true usually are. Despite claims of earning $1000-$5000 per week, legitimate paid envelope stuffing positions rarely exist.
How the Scam Works
Envelope stuffing scams typically ask you to pay an upfront fee of $30-$400 for a “start-up kit” or training materials. You may be promised “free supplies” like envelopes and stamps. This is the first red flag, as real jobs never require you to pay just to start working.
Once you pay, you’ll be told to place ads recruiting others to “earn money envelope stuffing.” The truth is, you won’t get paid for stuffing envelopes yourself.
Your only chance to earn money is from the fees other people pay to join the scam program. So new victims completing the same steps become your only source of potential income.
Why Envelope Stuffing Jobs Don’t Exist
Firstly, businesses can buy machines that stuff over 1,000 envelopes per hour, much faster than any person could manually. So there’s no incentive for companies to pay people high wages to do envelope stuffing by hand.
While some office assistant jobs may include envelope stuffing, it comprises a small percentage of the role and pays normal hourly wages, not the inflated per envelope rates advertised. Charities may also have volunteer envelope stuffing roles.
But legitimate full-time paid envelope stuffing positions largely do not exist. Spotting Envelope Stuffing Scams Be wary of work from home envelope stuffing jobs that:
Promise easy money for little effort
- Require upfront fees for training or materials
- Pay very high rates per envelope (e.g. $1-$5 each)
- Guarantee weekly earnings of $1000+
The Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau both warn that envelope stuffing jobs fitting this description are almost always scams. Avoid giving out personal details or paying any fees before thoroughly researching the company.
Search online for reviews and complaints from previous workers to help determine if an opportunity is real or a scam. Alternatives to Envelope Stuffing While envelope stuffing may be a fantasy, there are legitimate ways to earn extra money from home. Alternatives include:
- Online surveys – Companies pay for opinions on products/services
- Virtual assistant work – Administrative tasks for clients
- Affiliate marketing – Earn commissions promoting products
- Selling handmade crafts – On sites like Etsy
- Rideshare driving – Drive for Uber or Lyft when convenient
- Data entry – Input data for companies from a computer
The most important thing is avoiding opportunities that seem too good to be true. Research companies thoroughly and don’t pay upfront fees before you understand exactly how you’ll be earning an income. With common sense precautions, you can find legitimate flexible ways to supplement your existing income without falling prey to envelope stuffing scams.
