Don’t be fooled by easy money schemes that may not be harmless
COMMENTARY
Jeff Dennis

Is there anyone out there who wants an easy $3,000? Oh sorry, you’re going to have to be a female to qualify. Did I mention that you need to be a non-smoker? Oh, and one last thing, you need to have an SAT score over 1100 or ACT over 24.

Some of you may have seen the signs around campus the last couple of weeks offering $3,000 for female egg donors who meet the previous qualifications. Sorry guys, I guess our reproductive materials just aren’t in very high demand.

Obviously it was no mistake these signs were posted around TCU where there are plenty of females who meet the requirements, and probably wouldn’t mind having an extra $3,000. For those of you who have worked on-campus jobs, you know that’s the equivalent of about three years pay.

For a female who meets the qualifications, this certainly sounds like a lucrative deal. But please don’t be so lured by the money that you don’t research the process yourself. There are certain dangers involved in egg donation, but the funny thing is, most of the donor Web sites aren’t too forthcoming with the information.

About an hour worth of Internet research yielded nothing except phone numbers and addresses of people to contact about egg donation. This alone should hopefully bring a healthy skepticism into the minds of interested parties, and hopefully you will make sure you know the facts before you make any decisions.

College students are the ultimate targets for easy money ventures. Sometimes there is no problem and you make a few extra dollars. But sometimes things are not as harmless as advertised.

It seems at least once a year, one of my friends comes up and tells me about this great new business that needs investors who make money when they bring more investors into the company. Usually these ventures sound strangely similar to a pyramid scheme, but they’ve always been fed some vague information about how it’s not a pyramid scheme because it avoids certain criteria.

Another common practice of college students is donating blood for money. Similar to egg donation, giving blood is needed in our society. However, if you’re working two jobs, cramming for midterms, and skipping meals, it might not be in your best interests to give your blood.

I have had friends who have given blood while not in the best of physical states, and it is definitely not beneficial to them in the long term. Just because mom and dad are making you pay for those unnecessary purchases you tried to sneak onto your send home bill doesn’t mean you should risk your health to cover the costs.

The bottom line is be careful with your money, but more importantly, be careful with your body. Don’t let a lack of cash lead you to hastily jump into something without finding out the real details first. Also, don’t rely on just the company involved to give you the “facts.” It is best to get a second opinion from a third party.

By the way, what do you think I could get for a kidney these days?

Jeff Dennis is a senior sociology major from Gail.