For companies selling franchises and business opportunities – and entrepreneurs in the market – the FTC's Franchise Rule and Business Opportunity Rule mandate disclosures and offer buyers certain protections. In addition, the FTC has resources to help people spot business opportunity and investment scams and avoid franchise taboos.
Plain Language Guidance
Promoters of fraudulent business opportunities run ads where their targets are likely to see them: in daily and weekly newspapers, in magazines, and on the Internet. Advertising sales staff with a well-trained eye can recognize – and reject – ads promoting bogus promotions.
No es muy difícil adivinar por qué los anuncios de oportunidades de negocio que prometen beneficios como ser su propio jefe y ganar dinero rápidamente resultan tan atractivos. Algunos anuncios de oportunidades de negocio presentan promesas vacías y declaraciones falsas que los empresarios nunca podrán realizar.
Some resumes list credentials — like a college degree or professional certification — that sound credible, but were bought from “diploma mills.” Human resources professionals need to educate themselves on the steps to take to suss out suspect degrees.
Si opera un pequeño negocio y solo tiene unos pocos empleados, usted ya ha aprendido unas cuantas cosas – contabilidad, marketing, recursos humanos, etcétera. Y es probable que dependa de la tecnología, aunque tan solo sea una computadora o un teléfono. Usted no se puede permitir que un estafador o un pirata informático lo saque del camino.
Este folleto explica cómo funcionan las estafas comunes como facturas falsas, estafas de publicaciones en guías comerciales, y estafas de impostores de compañías de servicio público que apuntan a los pequeños negocios. También describe las tácticas que usan los estafadores de manera que usted pueda identificarlas y provee pasos a tomar para proteger su compañía de las estafas. Para ordenar copias gratis visite ftc.gov/ordenar.
This article is part of the FTC’s efforts to help small business owners avoid scams. It explains common scams that target small businesses and non-profit organizations, describes scammers’ tactics, and provides steps people can take to protect their company from scams. Copies can be ordered for free at ftc.gov/bulkorder.
If you’re running a small business with only a few employees, you’ve learned about a lot of things – accounting, marketing, HR, you name it. And you probably depend on technology, even if it’s only a computer and a phone. You can’t afford to get thrown off-track by a hacker or scammer.
