JD of GetRichSlowly, a personal finance blog, has outlined 7 skills you might want to acquire if your goal is to ward off all those scammers lurking everywhere. Here's my home business opportunity version.

1. Ignore anything that sounds too good to be true.
Remember those sales pages saying "Earn $2,000 in a one month without selling anything?" or something to that effect?

2. Seek recommendations from people you trust.
Don't rely on the testimonials that home business opportunity sales pages have, they're either usually paid to write those testimonials or they're biased for some reasons. If you don't have a friend who's already tried the opportunity, online forums abound if you are looking for opinions of people regarding any opportunity you'd like to try.

3. Refuse transactions you do not initiateIf you were contacted first, it means the one who either sent you an email or called you is the one who needs something from you. READ: (usually) Spam = Scam.

4. Don't allow yourself to be pressured.
Similar with tip no. 3, if one person is mentioning stuff just to get you to sign up quickly on anything and get your credit card number, walk away. You should be given ample time to think things through to come up with an informed decision.

5. Read everything you sign.
Or before you tick the Terms of Agreement box and click sign up. It could be frustrating if you find out that what you expect will not be met just because you didn't take time to read the fine prints. See Work from Home Momma's paid surveys case.

6. Don't invest in things you do not understand.
Sure, almost everyone's told you that transcribing medical files or selling on eBay can become really lucrative home businesses. However, if you know nothing about them, why jump blindly? The key is to do your homework, gather as much information as you can and ask the experts on these businesses first before you pay for that e-Business program that's telling you'd be earning more if you join their program.

7. Surround yourself with experts.
To avoid being scammed by cons, network like crazy. Rub elbows and nurture good working relationships with home business gurus, or better if you can make them your personal friends.