JBPHH Airmen advised against bringing personal business to work Published Feb. 24, 2015 By Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden 15th Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Mid-way into tax season and Military Saves Week JBPHH Airmen are again reminded to make smart decisions with their money and steer clear of "get rich quick" schemes which could land them in both legal and financial trouble. Capt. Osasumwen Izevbigie,15th Wing Judge Advocate chief of adverse actions, said Hickam has recently experienced a rise in the number of instances involving unauthorized soliciting in the work place and to subordinates. "No private business solicitation is to happen at work ... at all," said Izevbigie. "There are two lines you have to be careful of crossing when you're dealing with private businesses on base and that is the 'at work line' and the 'subordinate line.'" According to Izevbigie although the lines can sometimes become blurry, higher ranking individuals should steer clear of soliciting to any Airman while on base or in uniform as to avoid the appearance of coercion or fraternization; however, a welcomed solicitation amongst peers, done out of uniform, not on government time or property is acceptable. Izevbigie said the reason there are so many rules in place is to protect Airmen because many of the solicitation attempts involve multi-level marketing schemes. Multi-level marketing schemes are similar to pyramid schemes in which the bottom tier of the company works to feed money to the top tier of the company; however, unlike pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing companies are not illegal. Multi-level marketing, or network marketing companies, thrive on recruiting sales people to recruit more sales people. Izevbigie said the sales people almost never become successful because the atypical business model of relying on consumers as distributors saturates the market and eventually the supply will outweigh the demand. Unfortunately for would be participants in multi-level marketing companies, Izevbigie said the success of the company typically relies heavily on word of mouth, and that's the aspect of the business which can land military members in hot water. "Because multi-level marketing schemes are not illegal, we warn people to be especially cautious of becoming involved in one without realizing it," she said. "However, just because they are not illegal does not mean that buying into the schemes won't get you into trouble. If you were to invest your money in one of these companies and eventually lose it all, there would be little you could do, legally, to get it back." Izevbigie said though she hopes these types of things don't happen on base or in a military environment, it's her job to make sure things happen within the legal parameters. "If you do have a private business venture, your participation has to be in a purely personal capacity ... no uniform, no military endorsement," she said. "You should never be pictured in uniform supporting a private business venture. Even though members are authorized to participate in private business ventures, there are certain ethical regulations that must be observed. Failure to do so could get you into trouble." Though any money invested into a multi-level marketing company may already be money lost, Izevbigie recommends disassociating with the company as soon as possible. "Just beware of any companies that ask you to pay money up front to make it back in installments," she warns. Izevbigie also warns Airmen to avoid any companies that promise quick profit, or ask you to open a personal line of credit. Instead of investing money in "get rich quick schemes," Debbie Blunt, accredited financial counselor at the Military and Family Support Center, advises Airmen to always understand the investment beforehand. "If you don't understand why ... don't buy," she advises. "Ask questions concerning commissions, fees and lock-up periods." Additionally, Blunt recommends against signing blank forms and suggest making copies of every signed document. Blunt said she also encourages Airmen to take advantage of Military Saves Week Feb. 23-27 and take the Military Saves Pledge at www.militarysaves.org. For more information or additional financial advice Airmen should contact the MFSC at 808-474-1999.