The first question you should ask yourself about anything that's too good to be true is . . . is it a legitimate business opportunity or scam.  The investment “opportunity” could be anything from a new nutritional supplement to a foolproof method for "flipping" houses. But if the investment or product is advertised as “easy money” or promises immediate high earnings, beware. Although there are plenty of legitimate business opportunities out there, there are also plenty of fraudulent schemes that exist for no other reason than to steal your money. Simple or complicated These schemes can be relatively straightforward. For example, one New York state man was convicted of enticing investors to sink $10,000 each into a vending machine distribution business he promised would be profitable —...