DOING BUSINESS

Doing business in this global world without risk is almost impossible as it is. It is a fact that every businessperson strives to make profit bearing this in mind that the card does not always bring forte an ace. Still, the business environment has been made more hostile, risky and hazardous by the predatory practices of unscrupulous crooks. One or more genuine businesspersons that have fallen into their hands have come out (if they come out at all) with bad tails and sour mouth. While have been ruined condemned to penury and a life of poverty, some eventually took their own life, when it dawned on them that their life's savings have just disappeared into thin air.

These deceitful and dishonest individuals usually predate on unsuspecting, naive, or mostly greedy businessmen. In the part of unsuspecting, honest businesspersons, they usually receive scam letters which invites them to a supposedly good and profitable business. The deal usually looks fantastic and straightforward. These letters come in different forms and are signed by shady characters. In addition, these letters could come in form of government document or letterhead from the scammers' home country; this is of course to bolster the genuineness of the deal. They may even invite their mugun' to the home country and set up a grandiose facade to convince the person they want to dupe.
It is easy to see through a lie, especially when one is cautious. All letterhead should be verified accordingly from the proper channel i.e. information ministry of most countries will readily furnish information on genuineness or otherwise of individuals or businesses. In the case of Nigeria, a that gets invited in such a way should first involve the proper authority (E.F.C.C) Economic and financial crime commissonwho will happily investigate any fraudulent individual without fear of favor
Another category of business men that fall victim are the greedy ones who are attracted by the bogus and outrageous profit to be reaped from a phantom deal. These people are hard to help, because they will not usually seek for one until it be too late. Usually these set of people get contacted and the crooks pretend to be someone important or a high ranking officer in the government as in the case of Mr. Potter (not real name) who got invited to Nigeria through a letter he received proposing a fantastic deal. A high-ranking politician who had corruptly enriched himself was looking for a way launder his ill-gotten wealth and needed foreign assistance. Mr. Potter' part was to facilitate easy transfer by providing his bank account which he must have been operating for a while. His cut was supposed to be fifteen percent of the whole loot. It all sounded fantastic until Mr. Potter found out that all was a ruse. He lost everything. But Mr. Potter could have escaped this, only if he had reported his mission to E.F.C.C immediately he entered the country.
There are several methods used to defraud unsuspecting businessmen and no one can claim to know all their tactics likewise no one can say he can not fall to scammers antics as they come with new devilish ideas everyday. However, one should always be guarded by modesty and avoid shady deals and characters. Always involve the proper authorities when doing business with new and unknown people. Avoid giving strangers your bank account numbers or security numbers, do not pay any money in advance for goods you have not gotten.

Learn more about this author, Adeosun Olajide.
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