DEAR HARRIETTE: I think one of my friends might be working for a pyramid scheme.

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I can’t be sure, but he basically plays the role of a financial adviser and “helps” people invest their money. When they turn a profit, he gets a percentage. The more they invest, the more he gets paid.

He offered me his services recently — encouraging me, really pushing me, to take the leap and invest.

I felt uneasy about it, so I did some research, and the company has a horrible reputation according to reviews on Google and the Better Business Bureau.

I’m upset because it feels like he was hoping to profit off of my ignorance, but he doesn’t seem to get it. How can I explain to him that his company is taking advantage of vulnerable people?

— Dodging Scams

DEAR DODGING SCAMS: Talk to your friend and keep it personal.

Tell him that you wanted to be able to support him in his new business, but something felt off about it to you, so you did some research. Show him what you found. Pull up the Better Business Bureau and Google records. Don’t just tell him your concerns. Let him see for himself what the reviews have been.

Express your genuine concern that he is trying to get innocent people, friends even — just like you — to invest in something that does not seem safe. Tell him you are uninterested, and further, that you feel it is unethical for him to do this considering what you have learned about the company.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am coming up on the one-year anniversary of losing my mom.

I’ve never lost someone so close to me before, and I’m really not all that close with the rest of my family. Part of me wants to do something in her honor. The year went by so fast, perhaps because I’m still grieving. I just don’t know what to do, though.

She was cremated, so there’s no burial site to visit, and a party seems weird, but I don’t just want to sit at home alone on the day in question.

Have you ever put together any anniversary memorials? What can I do that’s small and intimate, celebratory but still respectful?

— Grieving Son

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DEAR GRIEVING SON: Do you have friends or other loved ones who knew your mother? Perhaps you can create a small gathering with people who know you well and would appreciate honoring your mother. Host a small dinner where you serve her favorite foods and have a toast in her honor.

What you do doesn’t have to be fancy. It truly is the thought that counts.

You may also want to extend the invitation to family members. You may be surprised that some may want to attend. Your mother’s passing could turn into a renewal of closeness in your family. Who knows?

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions [email protected] or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.