As too many college students do, I recently went to Craigslist.com and clicked on the “Jobs” button.
Among the many promises of “Great pay, no experience required and flexible schedules,” I ran into an advertisement by a company called Vector Marketing. Considering that I had nothing better to do, I made the appointment for a group job interview, after which I was offered a position. A position, I might add, that doesn’t require any tax information, a drivers license, passport, Social Security number, or any references. Why, you might ask, would a company not care about who you are?
Answer: Because it doesn’t matter. Vector Marketing may not be “scam” company by definition, but the company is less than straightforward about its goals. Vector Marketing is actually a “company” that exclusively sells products from Cutco Cutlery. The earnings potential makes sense, as long as you can find your own clients to make appointments with. Also, you will probably end up losing money, as you are required to buy the product yourself, so you can go out and sell it to willing customers.
Is it a scam? No, not technically. But Vector Marketing is just one example of shortsighted business looking to make a bulk of their profits from naïve and willing college students. Other companies use phrases like “Debt Settlement” areas, or “High Sales Volume” to describe their business on Web sites, including a personal phone number, and no company name.
Unfortunately, though, even legitimate companies with names will try to make profits with no compassion for their customers.
Freecreditreport.com will promise you an authentic report of your credit score, but regardless of the word “free” in their name, they will charge you monthly fees if you forget to call and cancel your subscription that you didn’t know you set up.
The National Scholars Honors Society is another organization that, in more ways, is a legitimate scam. They will give you certification for a fee (which is unheard of for legitimate Honors Societies) but they are not accredited by anything, and your resume will have a permanent red flag to employers.
How do these companies do it? By targeting college students, these shady businesses appeal to all of our desires: money, resume building, low costs, credit scores. It is essential that we all stay aware of businesses that have no problem doing harm to make extra profits. The Better Business Bureau is one of the best places for a second opinion, as well as a great name to drop when dealing with these companies (personally, I’ve gotten over $100 dollars back to me by mentioning them.)
We are all vulnerable, but only as much as we allow ourselves to be. Don’t try to skip steps, and keep your eyes on the prize you’ve been working for, without getting sidetracked by shiny objects without any substance.
Reach Dante at dante.graves@asu.edu
