Business Registration Oregon
business registration oregon
Educate Yourself: Spotting a Scam
We’ve all been there. Someone approaches you with an idea that can change your business forever and it seems too good to be true. Your first reaction is such incredible excitement that it clouds your judgment. You are so elated that you can’t hear that little voice inside you that says, “Wait. Calm down and think about this for a minute. Do some research on it before you say yes. Something is not right about this.”
A scammer reached out to me recently, however I was smart enough to stop the progress before it was too late. What happened was a freelancer approached me and offered to do some work for me for a ridiculously low fee. As a business owner in hard economic times, I would be a fool to pass that up. Right? Wrong.
I talked to the woman a few times on the phone and we emailed back and forth a few times. She continued to email special discounts to me that she was apparently emailing to other potential clients. As excited as I was about her offerings, I calmed myself enough to listen to that little voice. It was yelling, “Wait. Call someone first. You need another opinion.” So I did.
My friend said do some more research, to which I said, “I’ve already started that process.” All of the red flags that went up for me were proven accurate. Her business was not legitimate. She lied to me when I asked her questions about her business. I found the real answers within my research.
Thank goodness I listened to that little voice, because if I hadn’t, I would have given $750 to a scammer. Nobody wants to do that.
Here are the tips and tricks you can use to find out if a business is legitimate or if it is possibly a scam:
1. If you have a website address, find out when it was created.
You can find out when a domain name for a website address was created by going to the Network Solutions Who Is website. If the domain was created recently, then that may be a red flag. If this is a business, you can ask the person you are working with how long the business has been around. You do not have to let on that you know the answer already. If the answer comes back much longer than the domain has been around, then that is a red flag.
2. Find out if the business is registered with the Secretary of State.
Go to the website of the Secretary of State where the business is located. For instance, if the business is located in Iowa, then go to the Iowa Secretary of State’s website. If it is in Oregon, then you would go to the Oregon Secretary of State’s website. There will be a link on the website to look for business registration. If it is too confusing for you, there should be a phone number on the website that you can call and someone can help you with it. If you find out that the business is not registered in their home state, then that is a big red flag.
3. Check with the Better business bureau.
If the business has many complaints with the Better Business Bureau, then you definitely do not want to do business with them. The tricky part here is that most scammers will change their names on a regular basis so it is hard to track them down. However, sometimes you may be able to catch them in time.
4. Search for the name on the internet.
Search for the business name and the name of the person you are working with. When you research, what kind of information do you find? Again, you may find something or may not find anything. It depends upon how fast they work. If it is a legitimate business and they have been around for a long time, you should find many positive items and a couple of negative items. This is normal for every business, as you can’t please everyone. If the business has been around for many years and all of the information is only positive, then that is a red flag. Look for dates that the items were written. No business wants to have only positive items written about them. They want to prove how well they are at solving issues. That’s why they are in business.
5. Go to the websites that list scams.
There are many websites on the internet that list scams. Search through as many as you can, looking for anything that looks like what you are experiencing. If you find something, get as much detail as you can.
6. Search for certain terms on the internet.
Do certain terms pop up? Remember, scam artists may change their names on a regular basis, however, they may continue to run the same scam. For instance, in my case, she was offering 5000 calls per month for $799, which went on promotion for 5000 calls per month for $750. The fee was a one-time upfront fee. There was a commission of $100 per sale, which went on promotion to $50 per sale. In doing my research on those terms, I did find that there were other companies that had that same offering and there were many complaints about them. Was this the same group?
7. Enlist some help.
The James J Hill Library is a business library in St Paul, MN. It also has extensive business resources online. Having been a member for almost 2 years now, I highly recommend it. When I started to see some red flags with this company, I called one of the librarians and asked her for some advice on how to find out more information on this company. She took the information and within 10 minutes, she emailed me information on the most recent name of the company (which was one of the names I saw running the same scam), links to many complaints on the company, the fact that the address was actually a mail box at a UPS store (not a large building where the top 2 floors held 480 telemarketers like the woman told me), and links on where to find other information on the company. It pays to be a member of organizations like this one.
Finally, a few rules when it comes to working with someone new:
1. Never, ever give money to someone you don’t know who sends you an email. Do your research first to find out if this is a legitimate company. If it’s not, run the other way – fast!
2. If you receive an email from a company (such as FedEx or Visa) that you have not had recent contact with or from the government and they are asking you for money or for private information, always contact the company using an alternative resource to check to make sure the email is legitimate. You can find their phone number from their website or from a phone book or from directory assistance. You may also be able to find an email address or other contact information on their website. More than likely, it is a scam. Companies and the government usually will not contact you by email to request money or private information from you. Check it out through other resources first.
3. If you get a funny feeling about it or if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Pay attention to that little voice in the back of your head that says, “Um, excuse me, but shouldn’t we check into this a little more first?” The answer is always “YES!!” Call a friend and share your experience. If the friend says research it or sleep on it, please listen to your friend. It may save you time and money.
In the end, I reported my scammer to the website she contacted me through and she got very angry with me. She threatened to take my business down by posting nasty things about me all over the internet. She can go ahead and do that if it’s in her nature to do so. As far as I am concerned, I will go on with business as usual. I just hope someday she will find a better, more legitimate way to make a living.
About the Author
Wendi Moore-Buysse owns the Wendi Moore Agency. She finds speaking engagements for professional speakers, authors, life and business coaches, consultants, and business owners who speak for marketing purposes. In her spare time she writes about topics that are true to her heart such as avoiding scams and listening to your inner voice. Her website is www.wendimoore.com
Opening a business in Oregon?
I am trying to open a small business in Oregon. It is just me and my partner doing contract consulting. What licences and registrations do I need? Thanks!
I recently came upon a very useful site that makes available every Oregon business license application as well as every business license, permit, and tax registration application for the entire U.S. U should check it out. They also offer help in finding out which business license one needs as well as the ability to apply on line. The site is http://www.businesslicenses.com
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