Search the Internet for work-at-home opportunities, and the results are pages deep. It's true that you can use the Internet to increase your income and do it from home. But proceed with caution. There are plenty of scammers who make their money by taking yours.

There's no way to quick overnight Internet riches. To earn money, you need to provide some sort of service in return for pay. Like real life jobs, you may need to pass a test or a background check before getting hired. How much you can make depends on your skill and experience. But where possible, I've listed average pay rates.

Freelancing

A wide variety of sites list freelancing opportunities. Freelancing isn't limited to writers and designers. You'll find opportunities for administrative assistants, accountants, computer programmers and other professions.

Major job boards and small, niche sites post freelance opportunities. I recommend Elance, Guru and FreelanceSwitch.

You can post a profile and portfolio. Then, browse projects and submit proposals. You'll get a limited number of free bids. You get more bids with paid memberships, which on Guru, for example, start at $10 monthly.