It's true that money-making scams are very common online. The good news is there are perfectly legitimate ways to make money over the Internet. Many don't even involve eBay.

If you have experience as an English language teacher or tutor, you can make extra income teaching English online to Asians, South Americans and other people around the world. It has, in fact, suddenly become an incredible growth industry.

Most of the teachers providing this service work part time from home, and - thanks to broadband Internet video-conferencing - it doesn't matter if that home is in Cody, WY, or Miami, FL. Talk about globalization!

In the early days of teaching English online, freelancers had to hustle to find their own clients. Today, there are several online services that act as liaisons between learners and teachers.

Online language services all work a little differently. One might be a better fit for you than another, depending on how entrepreneurial you are.

Once you're accepted at Verbalplanet.com, for instance, you hang your shingle up in the marketplace and hope that students like your profile and experience. New teachers often offer free trial lessons to attract students and get the positive-feedback ball rolling.