There is a registered number 179-721 printed on the envelope. They want $25 sent to them to receive the grant. I did not apply for a grant, but hope it is for real, as I really could use some financial help. I do know there are many scam artists out there who take advantage of people in need. When I called the BBB, they had a listing of this company with a different P.O. Box and no working phone number. I could not find any information on this company with this address. Has anyone had any positive or negative dealings with this company?
210709
DEFINITELY A SCAM.\n\nIt is hard to find grants to start a business or for personal purposes. Government is simply not handing out money to anyone because it feels like it. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business or for personal purposes. I hope that you did not give your bank details.\n\nAlso, government grant information is FREE. You can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.\n\nMost of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program \n\nGrants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs \n\nFor private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online. It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.
101577
Most likely a scam. First, IRS does not call anyone to say they qualify for anything. Second, IRS is not involved in grant giving process. Third, even if you qualify for a grant, you need to apply first and pass through the rigorous process of grant application.\n\nI suggest you do not entertain this caller and do not ever ever give any of your personal information.
235787
G.A. Financial Group does exsit at that address. I looked them up myself already at the Better Business Bureau. They have an "F" rating. Thier listed phone # is 1(800)691-0210. California law requires that companies advertising the availability of loans or offering to procure loans or credit must be registered with the California Attorney General's Office as a Credit Services Organization and post a $100,000 bond. The company started on 8/1/1999, but as of 4/5/2006 the BBB verified that this company has not registered, or posted bond with the Attorney General. All BBB complaints are that the company does not provide loans as promised and that even though they say they are providing refunds, some BBB complaint individuals say they are not receiving thier refunds.
219124
Hi I have just received an e-mail today from Scoop Lotto\nstating that an e-mail address drawing was done and that \nI have won a large amount of money. No they did not ask for a bank account I have not answered them yet and I also have been searching for the company My gut feeling is that it is a scam.
494773
Never heard of them.  I looked on the web and found a couple of hits.  All were ads.  I looked at one at it had a yahoo account as the email provider.  I would never do a loan with a company that has an @yahoo suffix to their email.\n\nThere has to be someone local who could give your friend a loan.  If no one will give her a loan but this fella then raise your shields and go to red alert.  Your friend may have really busted up credit and that is when the scavengers come in.\n\nThree possible scenarios.  \n\nI.   this guy will require a fee or payment to "process" the loan.  Then disappear once the money is sent.\n\n2.  Hit your friend with a payment plan that sounds cheap and easy but is really something that will lock her into a paying a lot more than she borrowed.  Like saying your $5000 loan will only cost you $230 a month.  What they don't say is that is over 5 years which would come to paying $13,800 for a $5000 loan.  This type of loan scam will also have all sorts of stiff fees and penalties to trap the borrower into the loan for the full term.\n\n3.  Good old fashioned identity theft.\n\nIt could be a mixture of all of the above too.  I would say, avoid this guy.  If she has to use him, then have a calculator ready and add up the payments to make sure they aren't scamming.  Make sure you know the length of the loan, the interest amount, the API, and the amount of the loan.  Get a schedule of all fees in writing.  DO NOT SIGN RIGHT AWAY!!!   Take the paperwork and read over it.  It might be worth $100 to pay an attorney to go over and it and tell you what evils are lurking in that paper.  Beware, they may try to get you to sign up right away and give you no chance to read over the agreement.  Start with not trusting the guy at all.  Be skeptical of everything he says.
346878
Might be worth ringing the companies involved. Someone might be using your address  to obtain goods etc.
120957
I looked it over.  It sounds might suspicious to me.  It seems to be offering free services to people who win the Green Card Lottery run by the State Department.  Therefore, the thing to do would be to contact the State Department and ask them whether this site is legal, and is known to be honest.\n\nEspecially on the Internet, whenever a thing sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't.  Or rather, it has some hidden aspects.  For example, these people may indeed offer some assistance to incoming immigrants; but what do they want in exchange?  What is their reason for offering?  Whose interests do they serve?  You need to answer these questions before you trust your private information to them, let alone get on an airplane they have sponsored.  Could you even trust it was going to the destination they told you?\n\nGood luck!
438638
They're more likely to take your money than to give you anything.  Please check this site and see if the letter on it looks familiar:\nhttp://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061023/COLUMNISTS40/61023032/1112/COLUMNISTS40\n\nAnd what a coincidence that the numbers are exactly the same as yours!  What are the chances?  But just be happy that you haven't lost anything as some people do.
598265
Mate, be warned. Don't let them in. Here, read this and follow the link to find many more on this scam:\n\nOn January 28th 2006, there was a young lady selling magazine subscriptions. I've always been leary about sales people at your door, I said I wasn't interested, but she persisted and I gave in. I ordered Dirt Rider Magazine for my boyfriend as a gift. I made out a check to SSA for 34.00 supposedly for that magazine and for a years subscription. He began getting Good Housekeeping Magazine at the end of April 2006. He has still be getting this magazine, but most are delivered ripped up, pages missing, and skipping dates and months. \n\nI went online to see if I could find a phone number for this company to ask what is going on, and I found this website while searching for SSA. Has anyone got in touch with these people? Any money back? Next time I will go with my instincts and not order anything from anyone at my door. I have moved from the neighborhood that they scoured and made money off of, and now I live in a place where they or anyone selling anything can't enter and if they do, the police are called and they are given a treaspass order and if they come back they are arrested. And it has actually already happened with two men trying to get into people's homes supposedly trying to clean carpets and when told I'm going to call the cops, they would high tail it out of here, but were finally caught.\n\nTricia\nWinter Garden, Florida\nU.S.A.\n\n\nhttp://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff195667.htm
407527
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It sounds like a scam to me. If you had really won money from a legitimate entity, they would contact you by the phone or more likely through certified mail. DO NOT reply to this email!
567533
You may want to first read the Better Business Bureau report on AWSM Technologies:\n\nhttp://www.data.bbb.org/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=phoenix/phoenix/showrpt.html?zid=9001917\n\nPer the above report: \n\n"Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to unanswered complaints, a pattern of complaints concerning selling practices and customer service issues, and failure to substantiate its advertised claims. Specifically, complainants allege that after agreeing to purchase an initial "ad package", the company engages in high-pressure sales tactics with the promise of higher earnings. Complainants also state that once they have agreed to pay the substantially higher fees, the company does not respond to inquiries. The Bureau has also received complaints stating that the company refuses to refund monies, stating that there is no money back guarantee or refund policy."\n\nBBB has also asked them to substantiate the claims they make on their website such as "How much can you make from these AWSM AD's? There are thousands of people that make more than $100,000 per year marketing other company's products in similar programs."  The company to date has not given BBB a satisfactory proof of the claims they make.\n\nThese negative writeups tell me to BEWARE of this company. They're not necessarily a scam, but they may be making extravagant claims with regards to earning potentials.
151199
Ther is an organization by that same name at this website.   http://phpnetwork.org   I do not believe that they sent you the letter - but they would probably be helpful in pushing athorities in getting to the bottom of you question.  I know I would if there were someone using my name to run a scam.
196177
They are not in good standing with the Better Business Bureau, apparently there have been alot of unanswered complaints.  \n\nCheck it out for yourself
646876
This company is not a member of the BBB, although they have them listed, with a rating of F, many complaints filed and unresolved. File a complaint with the BBB, although you won't be able to collect from them (BBB), please check the Better Business Bureau each time before doing business with any company. \n\nThis is the Bureau's view of the company:\n We strongly question the company’s reliability for reasons such as that they have failed to respond to complaints, their advertising is grossly misleading, they are not in compliance with the law’s licensing or registration requirements, their complaints contain especially serious allegations, or the company’s industry is known for its fraudulent business practices.
69232
Never heard of them. If you got an email requesting personal details then delete the mail, its a very common scam. You haven't won anything and your long lost dead relative didn't leave you lots of money!!
663030
It is probably a scam.  DON'T give out any bank information.  DON'T pay anyone anything to get a "prize".  You can contact the people who notified you to investigate further, but BE VERY CAREFUL.  People use things like this to cheat people out of their hard-earned money.
215941
Forget about it. It is a scam. Government -- the legitimate source of grants -- and even private foundations who give out grant monies DO NOT call people around volunteering about available grants.\n\nYou can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes.\n\nEven if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.\n\nNote though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants. \n\nGrants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs \n\nhttp://www.cfda.gov\nhttp://www.grants.gov\nhttp://gtionline.fdncenter.org\nhttp://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol66/grants.htm\nhttp://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html