Crackdowns on "government grants" and other scams

googler@evpl — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:11:00 GMT

I was very happy to see this release from the FTC, about crackdowns on a large number of scammers who have been taking advantage of the economic turndown. And not just the fake government grant schemes -- the list includes an amazing array of scams, including an admittedly imaginative ruse involving non-existant jobs as "certified rebate processors."

The scammers used websites, robocalls, telemarketing, infomercials, classified ads, and internet ads to push their schemes. They promised earnings, money-back guarantees, refunds; they claimed to be associated with government agencies, with Google, with shopper's clubs. To a con artist, tough times just present new opportunities to bilk people.

The FTC has produced a new consumer education video featuring a former scammer who hawked phony business opportunities and ultimately served prison time for deceiving investors. In the 10-minute video, the former scammer gives an insider account of how these operations use high-pressure tactics and celebrity endorsers to trick cash-strapped consumers, and how consumers can protect themselves by demanding written disclosures on earnings and other sales data. (More FTC videos can be found here.)

If you find yourself with unexpected charges or unable to secure promised refunds, you can file a complaint at the the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,500 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

Free government grants? Not so fast!

googler@evpl — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:53:00 GMT

A recent post at Snopes (which is the premiere hoax-debunking website) covers the increasing "free government grant" scam, currently being perpetrated through web ads, e-mails, and even direct phone calls. (Unfortunately, while Snopes is a great source of information, it may also spawn two "pop-under" ads on your computer. These can be harmlessly closed using the X in the upper right-hand corner.)

The federal government has an official website for all federal grant applications, and there they take pains to explain that they do not offer ANY grants for personal financial assistance or debt. (There are a few grants available to individuals in addition to organizations, but they're for specific types of research, projects, etc.) Their page describing who is eligible for grants offers links to various organizations that do provide financial assistance, and also to the alphabetical list of all government benefits and financial aid programs.

At the Library, we have bought some books that may contain such phrases as "free money" in their titles, but frankly, the titles are pretty misleading. By free money, they mean bargains, discounts, and the financial aid programs linked above.

Research Blog : scams

Crackdowns on "government grants" and other scams

Free government grants? Not so fast!