Got this call at work. Nothing on the caller ID.

12/23/08 calls from this number began - 2-3 times per day. Answered one and Indian accent said, "Hello Leslie, this is (some company I couldn't quite understand) calling concerning your . . . . . " I hung up.  Three calls on 12/23, 12/26, 12/27, one on 12/29 and one so far one this morning 12/30.

Just now got a phone call from this number. Twice this morning. I have no idea who it is

I have a pre-paid cell phone. Ive asked them 5 or more times to stop calling   my number. They call every 5 to 10 min. What can we do about it They called me today and I got ugle with Them. I hope it works.  Thanks

They keep calling and I have called and asked to be put on the do not call list twice now.  they never answer the phone

I get persistant calls from this number (5 to 7 calls daily).  I once got to the phone quickly enough to get someone on the other end.  They said if I no longer wanted to receive these calls to press "2" now.  I pressed "2", but the calls have persisted.  I just want these jack***es to stop.

they keep asking for "Bill" - The only Bills here are in my mailbox or on my desk. I guess they don't understand english. I've told them to stop. I used jersey language that they might understand. maybe we should start calling them over and over....how about 3am jersey time>

In the last two days I've received 38 calls from this cell phone. They never talk or leave a message. ATT is my carrier and they have an "Annoyance" department who will investigate your complaint. I also filed a complaint directly with the FCC (NOT the "National Do Not Call" web site which is useless)and they (FCC)will assign a case number for you.

My hope is that enough of us will file complaints that they'll do something about this crap.

Common. We I have u all topped at 58 in 30 hours

ok, last update..there was nothing the phone company could do. There was nothing the FCC could do BUT this is NOT a telemarketing call....IT IS A SCAM. The caller who I eventually spoke with mentioned to me the name Grants Instructor. The FCC says that the number is not even originating in the US.
The FCC requested that I call the FTC and the FBI and let them know what happened. I called the FTC, spoke to someone and filed a complaint. If enough people call in, something can happen.
PLEASE call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357

Stop calling.  It's an automated message.

All GRANT offers are SCAMS - there is no free money

from consumeraffairs.com
Government Grant Scams
The "free money" scam has been around almost as long as the human species.
It has more variations than a bulldog has wrinkles but you can count on one thing: the government (any government) does not simply give money away to individuals. Anyone who tells you differently has larceny in his heart.
If you give him your bank account number, he will soon have your funds in his pocket.
It does no good to list all of the names used by these bunko artists because a.) they change all the time and b.) every single free-money government-grant offer is a scam. Period.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/03/grant_scam_ads.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/grant.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/03/ftc_stimulus_scam.html

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WEBSITE      
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt134.shtm

?Free Government Grants?: Don?t Take Them For Grant-ed
?Because you pay your income taxes on time, you have been awarded a free $12,500 government grant! To get your grant, simply give us your checking account information, and we will direct-deposit the grant into your bank account!?
Sometimes, it?s an ad that claims you will qualify to receive a ?free grant? to pay for education costs, home repairs, home business expenses, or unpaid bills. Other times, it?s a phone call supposedly from a ?government? agency or some other organization with an official sounding name. In either case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you?ll never have to pay the money back.
But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation?s consumer protection agency, says that ?money for nothing? grant offers usually are scams, whether you see them in your local paper or a national magazine, or hear about them on the phone.
Some scam artists advertise ?free grants? in the classifieds, inviting readers to call a toll-free number for more information. Others are more bold: they call you out of the blue. They lie about where they?re calling from, or they claim legitimacy using an official-sounding name like the ?Federal Grants Administration.? They may ask you some basic questions to determine if you ?qualify? to receive a grant. FTC attorneys say calls and come-ons for free money invariably are rip offs.
Grant scammers generally follow a script: they congratulate you on your eligibility, then ask for your checking account information so they can ?deposit your grant directly into your account,? or cover a one-time ?processing fee.? The caller may even reassure you that you can get a refund if you?re not satisfied. In fact, you?ll never see the grant they promise; they will disappear with your money.
The FTC says following a few basic rules can keep consumers from losing money to these ?government grant? scams:
    Don?t give out your bank account information to anyone you don?t know. Scammers pressure people to divulge their bank account information so that they can steal the money in the account. Always keep your bank account information confidential. Don?t share it unless you are familiar with the company and know why the information is necessary.
    Don?t pay any money for a ?free? government grant. If you have to pay money to claim a ?free? government grant, it isn?t really free. A real government agency won?t ask you to pay a processing fee for a grant that you have already been awarded ? or to pay for a list of grant-making institutions. The names of agencies and foundations that award grants are available for free at any public library or on the Internet. The only official access point for all federal grant-making agencies is www.grants.gov.
    Look-alikes aren?t the real thing. Just because the caller says he?s from the ?Federal Grants Administration? doesn?t mean that he is. There is no such government agency. Take a moment to check the blue pages in your telephone directory to bear out your hunch ? or not.
    Phone numbers can deceive. Some con artists use Internet technology to disguise their area code in caller ID systems. Although it may look like they?re calling from Washington, DC, they could be calling from anywhere in the world.
    Take control of the calls you receive. If you want to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, place your telephone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. To register online, visit www.donotcall.gov. To register by phone, call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you wish to register.
    File a complaint with the FTC. If you think you may have been a victim of a government grant scam, file a complaint with the FTC online at www.ftc.gov, or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
September 2006


Feds: Scammers Falsely "Guaranteed" Government Grants
Court halts operators' deceptive pitches for grant writing book and services






By James Limbach
ConsumerAffairs.com
July 24, 2009

A federal judge has stopped an operation from falsely claiming that it could help consumers secure a "$25,000 Grant" -- guaranteed -- from the U.S. government.
The case is part of a Federal Trade Commission crackdown on scammers trying to capitalize on the economic downturn by targeting people facing financial hardship.
In the complaint the FTC, jointly with the attorneys general of Kansas, Minnesota, and North Carolina, charged that Grant Writers Institute, LLC and its related entities (together, GWI) falsely told consumers that they were eligible for grants as part of the recently announced economic stimulus package .
According to the complaint, the false and deceptive claims by GWI violate federal law, state consumer protection laws, and the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule. The complaint seeks a court order permanently stopping the defendants' illegal conduct and forcing them to return money to consumers injured by the scheme.
"Stamping out grant fraud and other types of schemes that take advantage of consumers in dire financial shape continues to be one of the Federal Trade Commission's highest priorities," said David Vladeck, Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection. "There is no such thing as a guaranteed grant. But to consumers in financial trouble, the chance for extra income -- guaranteed or otherwise -- can unfortunately be a huge draw."
The FTC says since at least 2007, GWI has mass mailed postcards to consumers across the country falsely claiming that the consumers "are Guaranteed a $25,000 Grant from the U.S. Government." Consumers who call the number are pitched a $59 book titled "Professional Grant Writer 'The Definitive Guide to Grant Writing Success.'"
The company's telemarketers falsely claim that the book will explain how to get government grants  -- including the "guaranteed" $25,000 grant. GWI and its North Carolina-based telemarketers, also named as defendants in the complaint, then call consumers who have bought the book, trying to get them to pay hundreds of dollars or more for grant research, writing, or coaching services, falsely claiming a 70 percent success rate in securing grant funding.
In reality, few, if any consumers ever receive any grant money.
The Commission contends that in addition to falsely claiming consumers were "guaranteed" to receive grants, GWI used the current government stimulus package to make its pitch. For example, when consumers called the number on the mass-mailed postcard, they heard a recording that said, "If you've been reading the papers you know that recently our government released $700 billion into the private sector. What you probably don't know is that there is another $300 billion that must be given away this year to people just like you."
The recording continues, "And if you're one of the lucky few who knows how to find and apply for these grants, you will receive a check for $25,000 or more, and we guarantee it . . . If you don't get a check for $25,000 or more, you pay nothing."
The following were named as defendants:
? Affiliate Strategies, Inc.;
? Landmark Publishing Group, LLC (d/b/a G.F. Institute and Grant Funding Institute);
? Grant Writers Institute, LLC;
? Answer Customers, LLC;
? Apex Holdings International, LLC;
? Brett Blackman, individually and as an officer, manager, and/or member of Affiliate Strategies, Inc., Landmark Publishing Group, LLC, Grant Writers Institute, LLC, Answer Customers, LLC, and Apex Holdings International, LLC;
? Jordan Sevy, individually and as a manager of Landmark Publishing Group, LLC;
? James Rulison, individually and as president of Answer Customers, LLC, all located in Kansas.
The complaint also names the following North Carolina entities as defendants:
? Real Estate Buyers Financial Network LLC (d/b/a Grant Writers Research Network);
? Martin Nossov, individually and as a manager and member of Real Estate Buyers Financial Network LLC; and
? Alicia Nossov, individually and as a manager and member of Real Estate Buyers Financial Network LLC.



Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/07 ... l#ixzz0NENGCoRV

ok, last update..there was nothing the phone company could do. There was nothing the FCC could do BUT this is NOT a telemarketing call....IT IS A SCAM. As noted by pnobles on Aug 5th they mentioned to me the name Grants Instructor. The FCC says that the number is not even originating in the US.
The FCC requested that I call the FTC and the FBI and let them know what happened. I called the FTC, spoke to someone and filed a complaint. If enough people call in, something can happen.
PLEASE call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357

Updated info. This company is now also using 201-984-3763. they have called me over 80 times in the last 72 hours.
I urge you to file a complaint with the FCC online at
https://esupport.fcc.gov/form1088/1088bform.do

I urge you to ALSO CALL (not the web site)the National Do Not Call Number
1-888-382-1222 and file a complaint.
I also finally picked up the phone and actually got an agent from this company to talk and advised her I was taking legal action against her AND the company for harassment. They are now claiming that they will immediately take me off their list. We shall see.

PLEASE FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FCC (not the National Do Not Call List)
If enough people file with the FCC THEY MIGHT DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this number has called me at least 50 times in 2 days and keeps calling and calling, hell they just called.

This number has been calling my cell phone constantly while I'm at work...several times in one day. It's ridiculous! I called the number back and I get a voice saying "welcome to the customer service department" then it gives me the option of pressing 2 to be put on the "do not call" list, so I do and yet this number still calls me.

I then call back again to choose the 'press 1' option which is to speak to a customer service agent. When I press 1, the voice says, no agents are available to assist you at this time. I'm like "What the hell? Someone JUST called me from this number literally a min ago."  They're available to annoy people by calling constantly but not available to take any calls? It's irritating to the point where I wanna turn my phone off.

Calls started today 8/8/2009 @8:17 am and  again at 9:01 am.  Didn't answer didn't know the called..... We are on the do not call list and still get unwanted telemarketer.

i got a phone call from this person and i am only 16 years old

Yesterday they called my house 34 times!!!!  When I answer there is no one there. I have reported this number to the unlawfull call center with my local phone company. I also am on the do not call list. I hope they can work something out....it is extremly anoying! My next step is to get call intercept...they have to idenfied themselves or their call will not ring to my phone.

this number called me 10 times on my cellphone today while I was at work.

I Got a call at 8:25 AM on August 3 2009 from this person and the person did not leave a message.

and yes it is annoying

I have gotten 9 calls from this number today and it is only 3 PM EST.  Same issues as everyone else.  What the heck?

got 8 calls in last two days from this number. CID comes up as Weehawken NJ. Called it back and it put me on hold for a CSR. No CSR available called twice. I blocked the number on comcast call blocking by using *60. I blocked another of these types form Frankling TN yeserday using same calling pattern of about every 45 minutes to an hour. I think it rolled me to the Weehawken number. When you call you get an option to press 2 and get on their do not call list. I did it and it called me again five minutes later. I then blocked the number. These are incredibly annoying.

I also received 3 calls from this number.  First call started at 8:03 AM.  They stated their name as Grants Instructor.  Wanted to send information about government grants.  Wanted your financial information.  They asked for my debit card number.  I would not give it to them.  Told them I would check them out and call them back.  Person stated it was a one time offer.  I said sorry, I only deal with companys I can check out.  They hung up.

Call and hang up non stop please make then stop

Received call on my cell, didn't get to phone in time but no message.  20 minutes later another call from same number.  I didn't answer and no message.

I CALLED VERIZON  AND THEY BLOCKED THESE NUMBERS FOR ME

I am now getting calls from 201-918-3081 the same way 201-918-3055 has been calling.  I called lEVEL 3 Communications and complained but got only voice mail.  Maybe if everyone called 201-433-8712 we might get it stopped.