A general warning for new immigrants. Don't fall for any of the following stuff.

1) Flyers posted at bus stops that promise you thousands of dollars per week while working from home. I wouldn't be busting my chops working everyday if this were true.

2) Desis (or others) who try to start a conversation with you while you're busy doing your shopping in Wal-mart, Bay, Sears etc. They'll usually stand beside you when you're looking for something and start some conversation on how nice the selection in the store is. Then they ask you your name, where you're from and then try to lure you into some kind of a re-selling business. To find out more, they'll invite you to a conference in some hotel or at somebody's place. STAY AWAY FROM THIS STUFF. The first thing I do when a stranger suspiciously starts a conversation with me without any reason is ask them "Are you from AMWAY? Cause I'm not interested." They usually get the point. Some of them are really persistant and annoying, in which case, tell them you'll report them to the store mangaer if they don't leave you alone.

3) Another one I read about today, this one is an online job-scam. Read at

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3730401/

The rule of thumb here is "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is." If you're looking for a job, these guys know how vulnerable you are and this is what they prey on. Don't waste your money on this stuff.

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Are you there?

dont know if Amway is really a scam...but it is definitely not a viable business for most people.

Another one...this one happened to me @ yonge and bloor when I just arrived in Canada (7 yrs ago). A guy with a writing pad approached me and asked if I was interested in modelling. The fact that he was not asking me for money and gave me his visitingcard...made me the new immigrant feel he was legit. I filled his form. Later I was called and given an appointment. At the meeting I was told to fork over 400$ for my headshots and they would contact me when assignments came up. Yeah, right!!!

more from personal experiences...
Any job that asks you for money upfront(training/registration or whatever) is usually not worth it...you will mostly end up losing some money and/or time. Always try for a job that has a base salary at the least and not built on comissions only. Else, you may end up wasting time for nothing.

Also another tip: be it at a car dealer or a job recruiter who is asking for your money...always refuse, as politely as possible, if they ask for your credit/debit card. It's a high pressure sales tactic to ask for and handle (they put it in their shirt pocket usually...making sure that you see them do it) your credit/debit card before you are fully committed to the sale. It usually pushes the negotiations in the sales persons favor. If the sales person resorts to such tactics then its probably not a good deal for you.

Extended sales warranties on electronic items are usually not worth it either. If you can...look for items with a longer original warranty from the manufacturer.

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This Amway kind of people are always easy to identify. All of a sudded if a stranger is talking to you in a polite voice, the chances of his/her from Amway or like companies are better.

BL, The way you mentioned Walmart, I came across a person exactely described by you when I was new to this country... I wasn't trapped..

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A Proud Indian Canadian

Sorry, my bad. Amway's not a scam, its a legit business. Likewise there are many other companies doing what Amway is doing and they're all legit businesses.

The Scam is how these people project the business to you when they're trying to get you in. They tell you about fantastic profits and minimal work, whereas the reality is something entirely different. They'll give you examples of how some people wake up every morning and get a check for a 100 grand in their mail without lifting a finger. They rope you in with promises of great fortune in no time. And they're very persistent, sometimes the only way to get rid of them is to be rude.

In 99% of the cases, you'll end up buying products from them which you'll either use at home or dispose of. To actually "sell" them, you'll have "trap" another clueless immigrant.

In any case, you should always be wary of strangers soliciting stuff while you're minding your own business in a Walmart.

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Are you there?

I got one in Walmart ... He was trying to strike a conversation. And to his Luck, I was carrying my 6 months old daughter.

Infact they don't use 'Amway' anymore. They have come up with catchy word "E-COMMERCE". I am into "E-Commerce". I was like - good ... are you developing or something. He talked around ... created enough interest, come meet us someday in seminar & we can explore and left.

One thing for me, I can't say no Politely. If it is no it comes out as 'NO'. In his case, I said ok ... I'll come and I didn't go. I did this thrice, he didn't take the clue. So finally I had to say 'NO' ... in a bit heavy tone.

No more friendly calls !!!

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Mumbai Maazi Ladki ...

I found one company advertising in newspapers but found it to be fake. Be cautious when dealing with companies who ask money upfront for data entry work, envelope stuffing, assembling crafts at home, etc.

The found the company to be fake through this link

http://www.acidics.com/

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Yes, the job scam is big time in Canada. Let's take the envelope stuffing. That is crap. Same is making dolls, sewing beads. There is a website which deals with these kind of scams. This website takes you through all such websites which are a hoax.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/stuffitalrt.htm

I feel we should inform all our friends about this scam.

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What goes around comes around...
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A CANADIAN INDIAN