212-777-3457

Two calls to my cell phone today from this number.  First time I missed the call, and no message was left.  Called it back and got a generic voicemail box, no identification.  I answered the second time, and a male caller asked to speak with the "office manager".  Told him he had not reached a business number, and he apologized and disconnected.  Be careful of this one -- looks like it's coming from a spoofed Caller ID number, so could be a scam.

Overseas scam for grant money

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.

I have gotten a phone call every 10 minutes from this phone number. No one says anything. You can't even tell anyone to take you off there no call list. It's very annoying. Help.

Got a call on my cell phone, no one left a message, when I called the number back there was no answer. Looked up number on line, shows La Mode Org cleaners

I just got a call too and looked it up on google, i also got the La Mode Org cleaners.  i set this in my phone as blow whistle, so if & when this person calls me i will answer and blow the whistle as loud as i can. maybe a busted ear drum will help him decide to stop making calls

I got a call from this number yesterday (9-9-10), and this person sounded like a arab or indian calling from the UNITED STATES GOVERMENT offering me a grant . Please do not fall for this scam. they go thru the whole "how you are pre-qualified for a free goverment grant and all you have to do is pay for shipping of the application which is $1.80" so  they will ask you for your credit card # to do the charge. This person even went as far as telling me that the call was being recorded by the FBI and the Better Business Bureu so i had nothing to worry about, that my Credit card # was safe. Please dont give in to this BS. These people a lowlifes trying to rip every hard working person for what they have. A SCAM THATS IT.

Recieved 3 phone calls from this number.  Called back no response..............this is another scam............. the freakin Nigerans at it again......What I find amazing is these Smelly dirt bags don't even
know English and they Scam Americans all the time...........go figure...

I received 3 calls from this person they knew my full name and speaking with a strong hispanic accent asked me if I was interested in a grant. I told them no. They repeated the question I said no sorry and hung up, they called back a few minutes later I answered and said please don't call me again, they called back again and I sent them to voicemail and no message.

they keep calling, no answer, no message

I received 10 calls from this number in the past 2 days. Fricking idiot will not stop calling

I have received 13 calls, yes 13, in the last 3.5 hours! I've answered a few times and each time they ask for me by first and last name, when I say this is she, they say they are calling from USA Recovery and then I get disconnected. When I try to call the number back it just rings busy. How can you get these calls stopped? 13 calls... seriously? How ridiculous is that!

They have called me 7 times today.  I tried calling back a few times only to hear a busy tone.  Leave a message or leave me alone!

For about 3 days now i am having the same exact problem  what is up with that???

This number has called me at least 8 times today alone. When I call back someone picks up and then hangs up again.

I got several missed calls from this number randomly today. They left no messages. I called the number back several times and got either a busy signal or no answer. When they called again they claimed that I had been searching for grants online. Somehow they knew my name, my mailing address and cellphone number. I had never heard of them before. They said they were sending me a a package and told me they expect me to pay for the shipping. The area code is supposedly New York. The woman I talked to had a thick well, wierd accent. It's a scam. Total scam.

I just got a call from this number, the guy said his name was Jim Brown, but spoke with a very heavy accent.  After asking me if I was trying to get a federal school grant and I said no,  He called me a MF and a MF again.

Just keeps calling has called since 7 a.m. I answer no one answers back. I called number back busy signal or just rings.

Have called me 7x...a weird guy got mad when I declined the offer and said if I don't want my free money then fine and hung up! I'm waiting for them to call back b/c some one is getting cursed completely out...I hope they can understand that!

Ive had 13 calls in the past 3 days! And there is never anyone on the other side of the line, never leave a message, and I just pressed ignore and called the number back, but it said that the number had been disconnected! WTF