Opportunity Seekers Beware

If you are new to the industry, or have been in the business for some time and are exploring different companies and opportunities, please beware of pyramid schemes masked as legitimate business opportunities.

Pyramid schemes are illegal because they involve scamming innocent victims out of hard earned money with promises of “cashing out” with double, sometimes even triple the investment they put in.

Most pyramid scams fall under the guise of “helping” others or as “gifting” programs. Many are hyped up with a lot of fanfare and over the top opportunity meetings to get people excited about dropping their cash…only to never see it again.

There are many different scams and schemes out there going under a variety of names: Women Helping Women, Friends Helping Friends, Women Empowering Women, The Original Dinner Party, The Plane Game, and the list goes on. If nothing else, the most important word of caution you should remember is that pyramid scams DO NOT involve a product or service. The scam is built around the idea of helping each other get ahead through gifting money. Meetings may look legitimate with the leaders in business suits and ties and they may even be hospitable enough to serve beverages and snacks, but when it gets down to the nitty gritty, there isn’t a tangible product that you can purchase and actually hold in your hand, or a service that you can sign up for and actually use.

When looking for a business opportunity, do your due diligence and be sure that the company is a legitimate, reputable company offering goods and/or services that are of value to others.

If you ever want to confirm a company’s credibility, do a search online or look them up under the Direct Selling Association, DSA. This organization sets the standard by which all legitimate direct sales, mlm/network marketing companies do business. You can find them at www.dsa.org.