If you are either looking at buying a franchise or thinking about buying one in the future, then the following information could very well save you from complete and utter financial ruin.

Listen: It's no big secret the franchise industry -- like any industry -- has its share of con artists and crooks just itching to fleece whoever they can.

And, like most industries, there are certain "clues" the crooked people drop that identify who they are and what they're up to. Following are two simple criteria you can use to "weed" out the bad guys right off the bat.

First off, if you