At the start of the new year, it's a good time to brush up and train employees on the most prevalent scams targeting small businesses and how to avoid them. Here's a quick look at five small business scams to watch out for in 2017 and beyond, according to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
1. Directory scams
Owners of small businesses and non-profits often get inundated with phone calls and messages from people who want to list their companies in online directories. In return for a fee, these directory services promise to deliver greater visibility and ultimately more customers for your growing business.
That may sound great. But it's important to know many of these offers are scams. In one recent example, the FTC went after a Slovakian company called Fair Guide for deceptive practices after it fooled US businesses into paying millions of dollars to be listed in an online directory.
