I am also reporting a letter I received in the mail about a $10k grant. Be aware of this. The letter was representing a company called RiskMetrics Group based in D.C.. After speaking with that company, they do not have an office based in D.C.. The number on the letter is 1-202-683-9841. I called that number and a man with a very thick middle eastern accent answered the phone and attempted to pass himself off as James Collins, the founder of the company mentioned. Basically a scammer is passing themselves off as the company mentioned. They even send a check to cover the "taxes" on the grant that you have to pay before receiving the grant. Two things are wrong with this. The first being, you do not have to pay an advance fee to acquire a grant, as this is illegal. Second, you do not have to pay taxes on a grant, especially up front.

this is so crazy they have called me as well stating that the GOV granted me $10,000 due to my background that ive never had a felon and that i have a great record... he wanted to know how will i accept the pymt advised by a ck that i do not have an bank acct if this was really true by the GOV why did they put it in written he know all my info as name,DOB, address asked if he is with the GOV then he should know that i do have an bank acct.. i never call the 2nd # cause i knew he was full of bologna.... due to if he is calling from some type of GOV place he should be able to speak CLEAR English...

I have called repeatedly from this number every day and I'm really tired and wanted to know who it is.

This is a version of the advance-fee-for-a-grant scam.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt134.shtm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/phonefraud/government.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/multimedia/video/scam-watc ... ams_eileen.shtm
Report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG, as appropriate.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt134.shtm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/phonefraud/government.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/multimedia/video/scam-watc ... ams_eileen.shtm
Report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx , the Federal Communications Commission http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm , the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ and your state AG, as appropriate.

yes they got $1300 from me before i know it was a scam cause they called me to day and said if i sent them $300 that they would sent me $12,000. and by the way there are at lest three more numbers that they well call you from.

Please dnt taken this called is false pleaser dnt dued

The same person/people (Travis/Michael) called me yesterday, stating that I was approved for a government grant in the amount of $10,000. It is free money that I will never have to pay back. All I have to do is send $99 to a charity that supports AIDS and Cancer. I told him that I'd call after I got off work. I never called. So, he calls me today stating that he was waiting for my call yesterday, and he asked if I'd gotten busy. I said "NO, I googled your number and fraudulent activity was associated with it, so I decline the offer." He went on to say that he is not involved in any fraudulent activity...then explained how he and his brother served in the U.S. military,and that he has a family and he would never do anything to jeopardize their well-being. I listened to his blundering for a little while, and then....hung up. He called right back...this time from an UNKNOWN number. I didn't answer, and never will again!!

This is a scam do not respond!

I was just called and was told I would be receiving 10,000.00 from the federal government.  He gave me his name John Sellers, 200 Independence Avenue, Health and Human Resources Department. 202-684-6747.  They wanted by banking information or a credit card.  I replied that I wanted them to send me a check, no way was I giving out my information. Put the telephone number in and came to this site.  This is terrible, it just makes me think how many people are deceived into thinking that they will get money?

I have been recieving calls from this number, and they keep saying I am eligable to receive $15,000. All I have to do is send $99 to a charity out of the U.S. They won't stop calling me, and they all have weird accents :\

Government Grant Scams
Although government grant scams have been around almost as long as the government itself, the majority of the sites being advertised today didn't exist before the November 2008 election.

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.

In one e-book, The Truth Behind Government Grants Exposed, the author (whoever he or it might be) admits that grants are not easy to get. The e-book goes so far as to say, "Now, I know what you must be thinking, but don't be discouraged because understanding that you do not qualify for the majority of Federal and Private Grants is the first step to actually getting a grant."

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


    Government Grant Scam Hits Ohio
Tried and true scheme is making the rounds again



    By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.Com
July 26, 2010

The "government grant scam" is one of the oldest tricks in the
schemer's book. But that doesn't mean it isn't still very effective.
The scam, in which victims are promised "free" money from the government, has shown up recently in Ohio.
"Since early June, my office has received more than a dozen reports of Ohioans who were targeted by scammers posing as grant officers," Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray said. "Many of the calls appear to originate in the 202 area code. This creates an illusion of legitimacy because 202 is a Washington D.C. area code."
The reported scams are reaching consumers through phone calls, e-mails and letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service. All use the term "grant" and most require the recipient to pay a percentage upfront before acquiring the "free" money.
"Scammers are targeting Ohioans who are in a weakened position. It's an approach that preys upon the desperation and hope of struggling individuals, and it is reprehensible," Cordray said.

Cordray offers the following tips to avoid the "grant" scams:
? Be wary of mailings that appear to be from federal, state or other governmental agencies. Don't assume that a letter or postcard is actually from the government just because it uses words such as "federal," "stimulus package" or "grant." Even if the sender's name sounds official or legitimate, the originator might be phony.
? To determine if a letter, e-mail message or service is really from the government, contact the government agency in question from a number you know to be correct. For example, log onto the agency's actual Web site, such as www.irs.gov, and use a phone number or e-mail address suggested on the site.
? NEVER send money to a stranger through a wire transfer service. Don't trust requests for advance fees or upfront payment.
Because of the recent bank bailout activity by the Federal Reserve, many scammers claim that new laws also provide little-publicized funds for individuals. No such laws exist.
Some scam ads feature a picture of President Obama, or say that Obama is providing federal money to individuals for certain uses. That's not true. Much paperwork is required to receive any government grant.

My mother received several phone calls from this number in the past 3 days.  I have cautioned her about several phone scams and that she is NOT to give out any personal information.  She spoke with someone who called himself Chris Davis from Heath & Human Services in Washington, DC. He advised her that she has been approved for a grant in the amount of $15,000 and they could put the money into her bank account or mail her the check, she told them to just mail it.  (Thank god she didn't give any info.)  They called back several times yesterday and at one point left a message.  I was with her yesterday and called the number back to inquire about this grant.  I was a former police officer so I wanted to get as much info as I could.  I could hear other people talking in the background so I let the guy (Travis, Grant Supervisor) tell his tale.  I finally told him that I knew that the Federal Government didn't just give grants away and that you had to apply for them....he got very loud and tried to talk over me.  I told him that I was going to check out his information with DHHS in Washington, DC and report them to the proper authorities...to take my mothers # off his calling list....he hung up before I could get the last part said.

how do we report this as a scam or find more info on this? i googled the federal reporting agency and couldnt find a number

They called today about us receiving a federal grant of 10,000 us dollars so I replied isn't this illegal bec the only way to get a federal grant is by fafsa. He got really mad at me and said no mam so I said well how did you get my number he says he got it from my old bank. Lol I only had one bank account my whole life and I still bank with them. He finally hung up on me once I called him a fake and told him I was gonna call the FBI. I started laughing bec I had him shut down.

This is a SCAM! I have reported them to the Federal Government reporting center, and they have confirmed that they are indeed a Scam coming out of a foreign country. Whatever you do DO NOT give them your card number or bank account number!! They told me the same line of crap that I had 10k in a grant that I would be receiving and they gave me an ID# D0487 with the telephone number to call 202-684-6747.

They have been harassing the heck out of me!  The guy calls, can barely speak English coherently and tells me the government has approved me for a $15,00 grant, can he verify some information?  I asked him who within the US government approved, this, since they're pretty big.  He says it's the Health and Human Resources Department, which doesn't exist and gives a valid mailing address for the Health and Human Services Department.

Last I checked, there's no such thing as free money and definitely not from the US Government just deciding to give it to me!!

This scam has called me four times in 2 days.  No, the government has NOT decided to send me a grant for $10,000.00 that  I don't have to pay back.    It's a pack of lies, and I didn't call the number they gave me.  I suggest no one who gets this call get involved.

YEP... THEY ASKED FOR $100 WHEN YOU CALL THE SECOND NUMBER.  CRAP !

I got a call from  someone claiming to be government grants. They gave me a number to call. I called it and the man said he would call me tomorrow. They claimed I had been granted $10,000. The number is 202 684 6747.
Can anyone tell me more about this?