| People who are eager to start a home business | | | | agreement, have a lawyer or an accountant |
| are often new to the Internet and filled with | | | | review it before signing. |
| hope. Unfortunately, that can make them easy | | | | |
| prey for con artists. The lure of easy money | | | | 6. Make sure there is an out. Before you sign |
| can serve as a difficult lesson for those who | | | | ANYTHING, find out what the procedure is to |
| fall for it. If you are looking at job | | | | withdraw if you change your mind and what, if |
| opportunities online, its important to watch | | | | anything, it will cost you. If you have to |
| out for scams and get-rich-quick schemes. | | | | pay startup fees, pay with a credit card |
| Many scams are cleverly packaged, making it | | | | rather than cash or check. That way if things |
| hard to determine the legitimate work | | | | go awry you can cancel payment or dispute |
| opportunities from the fraudulent ones. | | | | your credit card charges. |
| | | | |
| "If you are looking at employment or business | | | | How to check out a scam or potential business |
| opportunities online, watch out for scams," | | | | opportunity: |
| Tamsevicius says. "Many get-rich-quick | | | | |
| schemes are cleverly packaged, making it hard | | | | 1) Contact your local Better Business Bureau |
| to sift legitimate work opportunities from | | | | (BBB). The national BBB web site is There |
| the swindles." Common cons include Nigerian | | | | you will find a link to locate the BBB for |
| letter schemes asking for money, pyramid | | | | your area and information on work-at-home |
| schemes, Ponzi schemes, and "work at home" | | | | scams and how to file a complaint. |
| offers that involve stuffing envelopes or | | | | |
| assembling crafts. | | | | 2) Check the Scambusters |
| | | | |
| Here are some tips for sidestepping scams: | | | | 3) Go to WorldWideScam, offers a funny |
| | | | insight into some of the more outrageous |
| 1. If it sounds too good to be true, it | | | | scams in circulation. |
| probably is! Any offer that promises to make | | | | |
| you rich overnight with a business that works | | | | 4) Visit the MLM Survivor Site. Here you can |
| while you sleep is a rip-off. Watch out if a | | | | check out any potential MLM opportunities to |
| company promises large profits for little or | | | | see how reputable they are. |
| no work, or claims no experience is | | | | |
| necessary. If anyone can do it, why should | | | | 5) The United States Postal Inspection |
| you pay to learn about it? | | | | Service offers several pages on its web site |
| | | | about scams, including work-at-home schemes, |
| For that reason, multilevel marketing (MLM) | | | | multi-level-marketing schemes, |
| has gotten a bad rap. Granted, there may be | | | | distributorship and franchise fraud, and how |
| some legitimate money-making programs out | | | | to file a mail fraud complaint. |
| there, but there are also a large number of | | | | |
| overhyped, overpromising, underdelivering | | | | 6) The Federal Trade Commission offers |
| scams too. | | | | information on work-at-home schemes, medical |
| | | | billing, business opportunity schemes, the |
| 2. Be especially wary of any company that | | | | top 10 Dot Cons, and how to file a complaint. |
| requires an initial investment to get | | | | |
| involved. | | | | 7) The National Consumer Leagues National |
| | | | Fraud Information Center offers information |
| 3. Be leery of anyone who uses hard-sell | | | | on pyramid schemes, MLM, and how to report a |
| tactics or pushes you to sign up right away. | | | | fraud. |
| Take your time to think about opportunities. | | | | |
| If you do find a program that intrigues you, | | | | HAVE YOU BEEN VICTIMIZED BY SCAM? |
| do yourself a favor and check it out first. | | | | |
| | | | If you fall victim to a scam let others know |
| 4. Double-check the reputation of a company | | | | so that you can protect them from falling |
| before signing up for its program. Get at | | | | prey too! Heres how to report a fraudulent |
| least three references from people who are | | | | business: |
| currently involved in the program to get the | | | | |
| real story. Find out what strings are | | | | 1) Contact the attorney general in your local |
| attached, how much money it will take to get | | | | state. |
| started, and what the fine print says. Also | | | | |
| find out how long they have been in business. | | | | 2) File a complaint with the Better Business |
| Ask what their experience has been working | | | | Bureau in the fraudulent business native |
| with them. How long have they been in | | | | state. You can find contact information for |
| business? What kind of training will the | | | | that individual state at the BBB web site at |
| company provide? Do they have a good support | | | | . |
| system for their sales representatives? | | | | |
| | | | 3) Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. |
| 5. Read the fine print before you sign | | | | Call them at 1-800-876-7060 or visit their |
| anything. If you don't understand an | | | | web site at to file a complaint. |