Watch out for the wolves.

I recently attended a huge job fair in Phoenix. While I was waiting in line, the person in front of me asked what type of work I did. After telling him I asked him what he did. He informed me that he was there as a recruiter for an education company and was looking for people experienced in accounting and finance to become part of his organization. He then asked me if I had ever heard of the former president of the university from which I graduated. When I informed him that I had graduated from that university, he informed me that the former president was now the CEO of the organization he represented.

Many red flags came up as I talked with this individual the first of which was that if he was a recruiter, why was he waiting in line with the rest of us? However, I did give him my contact information out of curiosity, not expecting to hear from him again but boy was I wrong.

Later that evening he called me (this is another red flag in that most recruiters for a job will contact you during regular business hours). He then invited me to a meeting being held at a hotel the following evening (another red flag in that most companies will interview you during regular business hours at their offices). However, he said he would send me more details about his company via email so I gave him my email address to get the information.

After receiving the information about his company, I conducted my own research. What I discovered was that his company sold educational packages to people for as much as $16,000. The person selling the package received half of the fee in commission. The education package was about ways to profit buying and selling real estate. I am aware, as most of us are today, that one of the primary reasons we are currently in a recession is due to falling real estate values. So exactly how can they claim to know some secret way we can profit in this depressed market? It just makes no common sense. Most people I know who own property today are not selling it but are holding on to it until the market comes back. After my research, I did not attend the meeting but instead made some money helping a client file their income tax return.

Unfortunately, during times of recession, wolves come out to prey on fearful individuals who either have lost their jobs or fear losing their job. The best rule to follow is that if something does not smell right, do some research to determine whether the offer is legitimate or not. In this instance, my research most likely saved myself money and a great deal of frustration.