Building Your Own Scam Radar: Ways You Can Avoid Home-Based Business Scams
Building Your Own Scam Radar: Ways You Can Avoid Home-Based Business Scams
Scammers know that people considering home-based businesses want to earn as much money as they can. Who doesn’t? However, this is where most scam traps are set as well. How would you like to earn $200 a day just stuffing envelopes or earn a 'guaranteed' $1000 a week by doing 'nothing' in the safety of your own home? Or maybe grow your $10 to $10,000 in just a month?
Sounds too good to be true? It probably is. Most promises of big cash within a short time for home-based businesses are scams. If you fall for this type, prepare to lose your money.
A legitimate home-based business will let you earn money – sometimes a lot of money – but it will not turn you into a millionaire within a short span of time.
If the business opportunity is too vague, clarify and then verify.
Most scammers will try to trap you by dodging the details. Ads and invitations that have too much to say and very little factual or technical information to provide should raise red flags.
Don’t go into a home-based business opportunity that doesn’t give you detailed information about what the product or service is or how the business works. Be especially wary if it promises big bucks or if the product is non-existent. For something that you can't understand, that's a lot of empty promises.
Beware of home-based businesses that rely on memberships and recruitments.
Although many MLMs have succeeded and are actually legitimate, there are also others that have no intention of making a businessman out of you. If a home-based business encourages you to keep ordering products, tools, sales kits and the like in order to earn commissions, you might be dealing with a scam.
The same might be true with businesses that rely heavily on recruiting 'down lines' in order for you to make money. If there are over 5 levels of 'down lines' or distributors involved, think over the proposal before joining.
Look for signs of real business.
A real home-based business opportunity or any business, for that matter, should have real products, real investments and company support. Beware of home-based opportunities that ask you to pay for a fee just to gain access to websites or directories. This type of offer is not a business at all. It's a scam.
Beware of stolen credit cards.
Another scam to watch out for if you have a home-based business is one that attacks you as a merchant. Accepting payment from a customer who uses a stolen or fake credit card can be bad news for home-based businesses. You will take on 100% of the liability or loss.
To avoid this type of home-based business scam, do these steps:
- Always ask for complete information (full name, full address and contact numbers). Validate the information thereafter. If the information checks out, only then should you honour the order.
- Check the addresses provided by your customer. The 'ship to' and 'bill to' addresses should be the same. If not, ask your customer to send you a signed fax to confirm their order. Have them authorize the transaction using their credit card number.
- Be extra careful about doing business with companies using free e-mail accounts or those that rush large orders. You might also want to double check international orders because if things don’t go well, you'll find it impossible to trace your client or even get your money back.
Keep yourself informed and updated.
Scams change tactics as soon as they are busted. Since they evolve like nasty computer viruses, scams can be difficult to detect, especially if they're new and run by professionals.
To avoid home-based business scams, find out about the latest tricks by checking online resources. Read information offered by the Better Business Bureau, some government sites and those run by private anti-scam organizations.
You'll also find reviews of home-based opportunities on these sites. Join online forums and discussion boards to exchange information with other home-based business owners. The more vigilant you are about your home-based business, the less likely you will fall victim to a scam.
Building Your Own Scam Radar Ways You Can Avoid HomeBased Business Scams - To learn more about this author, visit Cesar Campos's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Big Money? Beware.
Scammers know that people considering home-based businesses want to earn as much money as they can. Who doesn’t? However, this is where most scam traps are set as well. How would you like to earn $200 a day just stuffing envelopes or earn a 'guaranteed' $1000 a week by doing 'nothing' in the safety of your own home? Or maybe grow your $10 to $10,000 in just a month?
Sounds too good to be true? It probably is. Most promises of big cash within a short time for home-based businesses are scams. If you fall for this type, prepare to lose your money.
A legitimate home-based business will let you earn money – sometimes a lot of money – but it will not turn you into a millionaire within a short span of time.
If the business opportunity is too vague, clarify and then verify.
Most scammers will try to trap you by dodging the details. Ads and invitations that have too much to say and very little factual or technical information to provide should raise red flags.
Don’t go into a home-based business opportunity that doesn’t give you detailed information about what the product or service is or how the business works. Be especially wary if it promises big bucks or if the product is non-existent. For something that you can't understand, that's a lot of empty promises.
Beware of home-based businesses that rely on memberships and recruitments.
Although many MLMs have succeeded and are actually legitimate, there are also others that have no intention of making a businessman out of you. If a home-based business encourages you to keep ordering products, tools, sales kits and the like in order to earn commissions, you might be dealing with a scam.
The same might be true with businesses that rely heavily on recruiting 'down lines' in order for you to make money. If there are over 5 levels of 'down lines' or distributors involved, think over the proposal before joining.
Look for signs of real business.
A real home-based business opportunity or any business, for that matter, should have real products, real investments and company support. Beware of home-based opportunities that ask you to pay for a fee just to gain access to websites or directories. This type of offer is not a business at all. It's a scam.
Beware of stolen credit cards.
Another scam to watch out for if you have a home-based business is one that attacks you as a merchant. Accepting payment from a customer who uses a stolen or fake credit card can be bad news for home-based businesses. You will take on 100% of the liability or loss.
To avoid this type of home-based business scam, do these steps:
- Always ask for complete information (full name, full address and contact numbers). Validate the information thereafter. If the information checks out, only then should you honour the order.
- Check the addresses provided by your customer. The 'ship to' and 'bill to' addresses should be the same. If not, ask your customer to send you a signed fax to confirm their order. Have them authorize the transaction using their credit card number.
- Be extra careful about doing business with companies using free e-mail accounts or those that rush large orders. You might also want to double check international orders because if things don’t go well, you'll find it impossible to trace your client or even get your money back.
Keep yourself informed and updated.
Scams change tactics as soon as they are busted. Since they evolve like nasty computer viruses, scams can be difficult to detect, especially if they're new and run by professionals.
To avoid home-based business scams, find out about the latest tricks by checking online resources. Read information offered by the Better Business Bureau, some government sites and those run by private anti-scam organizations.
You'll also find reviews of home-based opportunities on these sites. Join online forums and discussion boards to exchange information with other home-based business owners. The more vigilant you are about your home-based business, the less likely you will fall victim to a scam.
Building Your Own Scam Radar Ways You Can Avoid HomeBased Business Scams - To learn more about this author, visit Cesar Campos's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Cesar's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Business Wisdom Free SEO Report Pump Up Your Calendar Program Health Check Performance Improvement Plan |
|
 | ||
 |
The Top 10 ProBlogger Posts
Best Posts for Bloggers | |
 |
Guide To ERP Software
Business Management Software | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
