Received a call from this number. Caller ID says SBACONSULTANTS.
no message left

Robo caller.  Caller ID says SBACONSULTANTS.  Very obnoxious, and illegal.  Who do I sue? Anyone know who "SBACONSULTANTS" is?

Complete bu***hit.  Do not fall for this.  If you decide to call them back as the reported below suggests, block your own phone number ID before you do so.  I called today and there was an option to press if you wanted your number removed from their list.  Hmmmm, is that for real?

The option for the do not call is NOT real.  I've done it 2x and they still are calling.

The comment below by Mr.Wills(towards the bottom of the comment page on this number for SBA Consultants) was extremely useful in getting in touch with these harrassers. They have been leaving voicemails about free government grants and business loans for months now, and I finally picked up the call one day. When I did so the recorded marketing message indicated to dial #2 on my touchtone keypad to be removed from the list. When I did so, the following recording played:

 "Invalid Option. To learn more about free government money, select #1 on your keypad"

So I hit #1 on my keypad and the following recording played:

 "Thank you for requesting more information on how to obtain free
  government money for your business. Please leave your telephone
  number after the tone and a representative will contact you shortly."

I left a firm yet polite voicemail saying that my number was a private residence and requesting to be removed from their call list. Within 20 minutes of leaving that voicemail, my phone rang and it was from (773) 966-1027 so I picked it up thinking they were calling me to get more information in order to accommodate my request.

Instead it was the same harrassing telemarketing schpeel. This continued every 45 minutes or so until I finally contacted the office of the CEO, Robert Turner at (510) 380-5999 and spoke with his secretary. She assured me that she would contact the phone room supervisor William and resolve this problem, and as of Jan 7th 2010 the phone calls have abated. If this changes I will reply to this comment adding any new information.

For those of you being harrassed by this company I suggest you do the same, since it worked for me.

They have been harassing me several times a month for AGES until today I finally snapped and tried to make them stop. I have been on the Do Not Call registry for over 3 years, but that doesn't seem to matter to them. Their own "do not call" option is bogus and doesn't work.
My first report was to the federal registry and now I am leaving a message here as well.
I hope these bozos get sued and shut down.
Soon would be good.

I work for Pac-West.  This number is actually in Chicago.  Pac-West does not own any numbers in that area and has not for over 3 year now.  This number is actaully owned by Paetec.

Here is the National database info for that number :
OWNERSHIP INFORMATION ROUTING INFORMATION CODE/BLOCK INFORMATIONADDITIONAL FIELDS IP FIELDS # TN Event Date NPAC SPID NPAC Company NANPA OCN NANPA Company Alt. SPID Alt. Company Name SV Type
1  +  773-966-1027 Return to Block 02/26/2009 03:39 AM, EST  4151 PAETEC/1         Wireline

Unwanted solicitation. I put my number on a no call list but I guess it doesn't cover this number.

If you are living in the illusion that you can 'block' your caller id with a *67 or whatever prefix, you're fooling yourself.  There are plenty of ways to unblock a caller ID number, and any company asking you to call them back, etc. for this is just getting a more valid phone number for you.  The best way to deal with these guys is to never have a real phone number and use something like Google Voice where you can block any incoming number by caller ID yourself.  But the worst thing you can do is call back a harassing number.

Did not recognize the number caller ID SBA Consutants.  I just refuse to answer calls I do not know I just let the fax machine get it and of course they hung up...

I get the same call from SBA Consultants several times a month.  I never answer and they never leave a message.  The DNC register is not very affective.  I'm unsure if I will call the numbers listed above for fear of retaliation.   So sad out society has come to this.

Got a recorded message about "grant money"

they call here 10-12 times a day. will not remove from list and stop calling.

They called my Sprint cellphone without leaving a message.  I called them back and got the press 1 recording.  If they keep calling I'll assign their number a silent ring since Sprint doesn't do call blocking as far as I know.

These c0cks0cker$ called my # 5 times now, If I find out where they live I will send my cousin vinny to make them an offer they dare not refuse

This phone number is ISSUED by Paetec (to a customer who is clearly violating multiple federal and state laws while using the issued number).  You'll want to contact the headquarters of the company and speak with the executive administrative assistant for President/Founder Arunas Cheronis.
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
One PAETEC Plaza
Fairport, New York 14450

Phone: 585-340-2500
Fax: 585-340-2801

They wont tell you the name of the customer without a subpoena.  If you are so inclined, get a group of other call recipients together and approach your state's attorney general to make a complaint.  They will have the power of subpoena necessary to find out exactly who is making these calls.  Paetec promises they will do everything they can to stop this activity....if they hear from people!!

Call them back and an auto remove will prompt u to remove. I just did it.

I have tried three times to remove my number and they keep calling.

annoyance call , no response when answered, probably got a sucker on the hook before I picked up

I've tried several times to remove my number from thier list. It does not work. I'd file charges if I knew it would do any good.
I AM TIRED OF TELEMARKETERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I received a phone call from this number.  The person calling did not leave a message.  Dial the number back and you will have the opportunity to be placed on their do not call list.

Robocaller: Free grants for smal biz.

This is a recording urging small businesses to "take advantage of President Obama's new expanded loans of up to $3.5 million dollars...blah, blah, blah."

Robocaller: free small biz grants.

do not call 503 695 3283 or 503 307 7098

They never leave a message

this is a pre recorded message, long, i don't listen to them, call sometimes 2 - 3 times a day, punches 1 to take me off list, no avail.

There is a law which prohibits automated calls which refuse to disconnect and these from SBA Consultants not only refuse to disconnect they keep ringing back and keeping the line tied up.  This is dangerous and illegal and I would encourage everyone who has experienced this to report them to the FCC at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

calls then hangs up annoying

FTC Warns Consumers About "Stimulus" Scams
Don't fall for ads promising government payouts


March 4, 2009

If you've spent any time online, you've seen the ads featuring President Obama's smiling face and the headline that you too can get a piece of the government's $700 billion stimulus. The ads say the government is handing out free money for all manner of purposes.

The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers its all a scam, which manifests itself in different forms.

Right now, on the Web and in e-mail, scammers are telling consumers they can help them qualify for a payment from the economic stimulus package. All they have to do is provide a little information or a small payment.

E-mail messages may ask for bank account information so that the operators can deposit consumers' share of the stimulus directly into their bank account. Instead, the scammers drain consumers' accounts of money and disappear.

A bogus e-mail may appear to be from government agencies and ask for information to "verify" that you qualify for a payment. The scammers use that information to commit identity theft. Some e-mail scams don't ask for information, but provide links to find out how to qualify for funds. By clicking on the links, consumers have downloaded malicious software or spyware that can be used to make them a victim of identity theft.

"Web sites may advertise that they can help you get money from the stimulus fund. Many use deceptive names or images of President Obama and Vice-President Biden to suggest they are legitimate. They're not," said Eileen Harrington, Acting Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Don't fall for it. If you do, you'll get scammed."

Some sites suggest that for a small sum of money ? as little as $1.99 in some cases ? consumers can get a list of economic stimulus grants they can apply for. But two things can happen: the number of the credit card the consumer uses to pay the fee can fall into the hands of scam artists, or the $1.99 can be the down payment on a "negative option" agreement that may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars if the consumer does not cancel.

"Consumers who may already have fallen for these scams should carefully check their credit card bills for unauthorized charges and report the scam to the FTC," Harrington said.



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