I know there's no lack of scams to write about, but here's a scam statistic that took me by surprise: Out of 55 online job announcements, only one is legitimate. Another way of saying that: 54 of every 55 online job postings is a scam.

The numbers come from Staffcentrix. The co-owner of Staffcentrix claims to review about 5,000 online job advertisements each week and has reached the conclusion that over 98 percent of the postings are written to rip people off.

Considering the number of people searching for jobs and the number of people calling the Better Business Bureau every day to ask if a job posting is the real deal, it's only appropriate to take a moment to highlight the biggest offenders.

® You can make thousands of dollars from the comfort of your home working for minutes a day.

Listen for the blaring BBB warning sirens and red flags waving on that claim. Big money offers for little effort and minimal investment of time typically lump a job posting in the batch of 53 others you want to avoid.

The only way to make good money is to work hard. Working hard means putting in the time, learning a trade, improving skills and building upon talents. A $69.95 instruction CD-ROM or Web site subscription with hyper-inflated promises of big money (or whatever the price of a given get-rich-quick scheme), won't translate into riches. It translates only into a $69.95 hole in your pocketbook. Don't believe the hype.

® Work from home stuffing envelopes or entering data.

There are machines for stuffing envelopes that are much faster and cost-effective than any person - even if you are working from home in slippers and a bathrobe. While there are legitimate data-entry jobs, they won't be advertised as "work-at-home." As with any job offer, if something catches your interest, check out the company with the Better Business Bureau. If the company has a good reputation, pursue the work.

® Learn a secret system to make millions.

The same rule we covered earlier applies here. Inflated earnings claims are a sign of clear and present danger. Don't fall for the promise of big money. The secret system comes with a steep price tag, leaving many dissatisfied people in its wake. The secret systems typically demand future millionaires accomplish astonishing feats of networking and multilevel-marketing upselling, not to mention the likelihood of illegal pyramid schemes.

Be careful.

Dale Dixon is president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, a not-for-profit organization serving Southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon. Reach him at 342-4649 or ddixon@boise.bbb.org.