Don’t assume a job offer is real just because you find it on a legitimate website or in a newspaper. Job scams often promise good money and professional experience, but in reality, the jobs are either non-existent or very low paying. Some scammers ask that job seekers pay high fees for information, training sessions, or promotional materials that turn out to be useless. They fail to deliver on their promises, and victims end up losing hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.
Signs of a job scam:
- Requests for wire transfers
- Demands for cash or up-front payments
- Unrealistic salaries
- Vague job descriptions
- Interviews in suspicious locations
- High-pressure sales tactics
- No written information provided
- Requests for personal information
Business Opportunities
In a business opportunity agreement, you pay for the right to offer, sell, or distribute goods or services. Be sure you know your rights.
When you enter into a business opportunity agreement in which you owe an initial payment of $500 or up to $100,000, you are protected by Ohio’s Business Opportunity Purchaser’s Protection Act (Ohio Revised Code Section 1334.01).
Under this law:
- The seller must give you a written disclosure document at least ten days prior to any agreement.
- The seller must give you notice of your right to cancel, verbally and in writing.
- You have five days to cancel the agreement.
- Verbal promises must be in writing.
- The seller cannot make misrepresentations.
While some business opportunities are legitimate, some are scams. The latter usually promise quick profits and require up-front fees. Once you pay, however, you won’t make any money.
How to avoid a scam:
- Ask about cancellation and refund policies.
- Watch out for exaggerated claims or vague descriptions.
- Research a company’s reputation.
- Take time to carefully review the written disclosures and the agreement prior to signing.
- Get everything in writing.