4. Explore Other Options
This is an extension of research. But you need to look more broadly. Look at other, similar companies and organizations. Does your investment opportunity look similar to existing ones? Is it comparable to other, reputable companies? If it’s wildly different, or if the management representatives who contacted you keep going on and on about how their company is “different and better than everyone else,” chances are that yes, the company is different. But not in a good way.