8665769176

they are on my caller ID. I also got the letter and after a google i saw this was a scam.Do not fall for this.

I received this letter also in the mail (CALL 1-866-576-9176) for 25,000 in grants...BLAH BLAH...thanks everyone for the info...if it's too good to be true, it probably is....thanks again....

Important Release of Government Fund Pending...This is what it says on the Letter that G.F. Institute Kansas City Kansas sent me... They say I will recieved $25K if I respond within 36 hours... I think this is not true...!!!

You ask the questions first,and ask if they're on the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU list.IF they can't give you that 911.you'll know that it's a SCAM. Yes i recieved the letter and it's a rip off.

I recieved a letter in the mail stating that I would be able to recieving up to 25k in Grant money from the Government. The letter provided a code and an 866-576-9176 number to call and report to so that I could claim my grant money. However when calling the number there was a recording that required a one time payment in the amount of 59.95 for a package on how to apply for a grant.

I got the same letter today...from reading everyone's reply.....

1.When you call ...it is a recorder,asking for $60.00.for some reading
material your "guide".

2.On the envelope it says "Your Access to Government Funds"

It's like that lame commercial with that weird guy selling that book on how to get grants...or to write to request a grant...

I don't have $60.00 to throw away to satisfy my curiosity...let's play it
safe and just put it in the trash , becouse that's what it is...if any
of us wanted this info..we can get it free from the library  and research
ourselves...

I got a "letter" from this G.F. Institute the other day. I Find interesting that you believe it started after ordering the "Debt Cures" bok. I too ordered that book just a couple of months ago and now I have this letter. Do you think there is a connection?

Received the Official information from G.F. Institute Kansas City Kansas.
Letter for Release of Government Funds Pending....what a joke, a grant to pay my bills...that's the first......The number listed is 1-866-576-9176;release code 2627.

The Rip Off Scums must have money to through away with the Official looking documents and envelopes that they are sending out......anyway if anyone else receives this please beaware that this is a SCAM....

I think in a business of selling " course materials". This is another way to call them back.

I'm so sorry for anyone who's been ripped off by people like this.  Got my Whoopy-Doopy Grant letter today.  Know what's sad?  SOMEBODY ELSE, at the Post Office or in my apartment building, had already opened it up and left their inky fingerprint all over it!

(Yeah, fool, I'm Ellie Mae, and this stupid letter was from my Uncle Jed.)

Here's some New Year's advice, darlings, because times are hard and there's a new thief born every minute.  DO NOT.  Hear me?  DO NOT   EVER    buy ANYTHING    from ANYBODY    who calls you on the phone.

DO NOT EVER, EVER, EVER give out your personal information, ESPECIALLY YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION!!!  to ANYBODY who calls you on the phone!!!

If you have elderly relatives, or disabled relatives, please explain this to them.

These kinds of thieves have no souls at all.  They scan phone records, public records, and the Internet looking for people who may be having financial troubles.

That's not all.  Their VERY favorite targets are [***] people and old folks with Alzheimer's disease.  Identity theft thieves think of handicapped people and frail old folks living alone as "an easy meal."

The people who send these scam letters aren't nice, neighborly folks.  They would slit your throat for a dollar.  It's just easier to play it by mail.

Please be very, very careful.  Bless you all.

I recieved a letter also, stating that 25k in a grant for whatever I wanted to spend it on was pending. I tried to call the number,no answer(I will give them it`s new years eve)just a message stating call back during buisness hours, thats it. I guess, I`m to guess there hours because they didn`t tell me.I`m going to check this out a little more, even though I`ve not liked what I`ve seen so far. My thoughts still are, I didn`t apply for any 25k grant, I`ve been applying for scholarships and grants for college, but nothing through this G.F.Institute. My mind is telling me ya this is bogus, but I got bills to pay, and college I`m going to be attending, and I sure don`t have the money yet. Who wouldn`t want a cool 25k on a grant? I`m saying the instant they start asking for money I`m cuttin connections and running. This is already taking my time and thats only one of the things getting grants is supposed to take. The other is filling out forms and verifying what and why you need the grant I.E. for me is a scholarship for schooling.

I fully agree with the Franz man, it only takes your time to find out where, and what you need to do to start applying for grants. So what is it, how important is it to you? I was lucky to find what I did on the grant cd I ordered, that led me to anything and everything I needed to know. But not before they tapped me for $80 bucks I didn`t have.
 I know I`m replying to Franz here but my intentions are for other people to see this and realize that the info is out there you don`t have to pay for free info( and a lot of what is told, is just true horsewash).
 I`m not going to say much more, because if your really interested it takes time and research, and then filling the proper forms. But here`s somthing to get you started, if your on the web and it has to do with Government the ending of your URL address is .gov/ only the Government can use that. If it has to do with schooling it`s .edu/ I`m pretty sure only schools or somthing that is for schools are able to register for that URL.                        Good luck

Here is the Kansas BBB report,looks like scam from the business description.




BBB Reliability Report for
G.F. Institute

BBB Rating No Rating
BBB issues Reliability Reports on all businesses, whether or not they are BBB accredited. If a business is a BBB Accredited Business, it is stated in this report
    BBB Definition:

report - A summary of activity reflected in a company's BBB file. Includes basic business background, BBB Accreditation information, and BBB complaint activity over the previous three years. Also reports may include any known government actions, advertising issues or other information that results from activity conducted by the BBB.
.
Name:     G.F. Institute
Phone:     (866) 576-9176
Address:     3400 rainbow ext
    kansas city, KS 66114
File Open Date:     November 2008
TOB Classification:     Consumer Finance & Loan Companies
BBB Accreditation:     This company is not a BBB Accredited business.

The BBB develops a report
    BBB Definition:

report - A summary of activity reflected in a company's BBB file. Includes basic business background, BBB Accreditation information, and BBB complaint activity over the previous three years. Also reports may include any known government actions, advertising issues or other information that results from activity conducted by the BBB.
on a firm based on inquiry or complaint activity. The BBB has not received a sufficient volume of requests for information, nor has the BBB received any complaints on this firm to warrant the development of a report
    BBB Definition:

report - A summary of activity reflected in a company's BBB file. Includes basic business background, BBB Accreditation information, and BBB complaint activity over the previous three years. Also reports may include any known government actions, advertising issues or other information that results from activity conducted by the BBB.
. The information provided, however limited, is presented to assist you in your purchasing decisions or for any other purpose you deem relevant. The BBB suggests you read and understand company promotional materials and contracts and check company references and licensing, where applicable.

Customer Experience

The BBB processed a total of 0 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business.

BBB Reliability Reports are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Information in this BBB Reliability Report is believed reliable, but not guaranteed as to accuracy.

BBB Reliability Reports generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Reliability Reports are subject to change at any time.

If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Reliability Report
    BBB Definition:

Report - A summary of activity reflected in a company's BBB file. Includes basic business background, BBB Accreditation information, and BBB complaint activity over the previous three years. Also reports may include any known government actions, advertising issues or other information that results from activity conducted by the BBB.
.

ID: 99144933
Report as of January 3, 2009 02:05
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didn`t get a call but got a letter in the mail thanks for the report it a scam look at the way its writen that is so fake letter from ky

What people are upset about is the envelope it comes in. I, too, received one today, and it STATES ON THE FRONT "APPROVED." There is NOTHING on it about $59 for a package. It's false advertising, and everyone one except you has the right to be angry. It's junk mail [***]. Apparently you aren't earning any money either. People with a job wouldn't have time trolling these sites and calling people names. YOU are the [***] one!

i'm not starving or anything like that , but i could use alittle more money, but i think these g.f. folks are just out toget us.beware.

I received a copy of the mysterious postcard others received.  The top item in a Google search for "G.F. Institute" is a link to <http://www.usip.org/gf.html>, which on its top page says the United States Institute for Peace was chartered by Congress as "an independent non-profit  research and grant making institute concerned with societal and armed conflict and acheiving peace, funded by annual Congressional appropriations and contributions from the public, foundations, and other sources, and with headquarters presently at 1200 Seventeenth Street NW in Washington, with D.C. telephone numbers (not toll-free). (Kansas City probably reflects where the Congressional sponsor comes/came from; and the Carol Stream IL postmark probably represents a direct mail house with access to various NGO compilations, etc.)

The G.F. sub-folder is to their Grants and Fellowship program.  They have an unusually broad outreach program, but say there they are not providing scholarships or undergraduate degree support, but will consider PhD grants for dissertation research in armed conflict and peaceful resolution programs.  

In summary, their direct mail solicitation appears somewhat deceptive, but the organization itself appears to be legitimate, if somewhat naive in its operations, which might have been written into its Congressional charter outside its control.

Their subject of activity is too far removed from my own interests and activities to be worth pursuing (their website says they fund about 20 percent of SCREENED applications), but may fit others' needs better.  $60 for an application manual doesn't seen inherently unreasonable to partially offset what appears to be a very expensive, low productivity outreach program.

I recived a card from G.F. Institue Kansas City Kansas Saying I got a grant for $25,000 and to reply in    36 hours. its too good to be true so i went on line,glad i did. My next step is to go to the post Office and report this scam

I received one of the fine letters from G. F. Institute Kansas City Kansas today, January 5, 2009.  I almost fell for it but decided to check it out on Google. I thought the telegram type message was rather funny. My release code number is 2718.  I even thought about calling and demanding to speak to JD since he is the individual that is the one that "verified and authenticated" my notice. LOL what a joke! My suggestion is to contact the attorney general in your state and turn it over to him/her and let the investigations begin.  Also, contact the media and expose these jokers for who they are! The media will have a field day and shut these people down once and for all.  Just thought I would share my thoughts too.

I also received a letter in the mail to get my free $25,000 grant from the government.  I also thought it was a scam.  So I googled the name of the company G.F. Institute and sure enough I read all the messages that people have got this card and I also thought it was a scam.  I am so glad I checked it out first. The government does not sent you cards saying you have got free grant money for any use you want without repaying it.  In this bad economy people are terrible to try to scam people that are having a hard time just to line there pocket with someone else's money.  If any one gets these kind of things in the mail or phone please check them out first so you are not a victim of the scams.  The phone number to call that was on the card was 1-866-576-9176 and you have 36 hours to respond.  It also was from Kansas City, Kansas.