BBB Helps Thwart Two Million Dollar Scam!
FIRST: A mystery caller congratulated an elderly Springfield Township consumer for winning two million dollars. He would have a "Western Union driver" (?) take her to the bank to deposit the winning check. Fortunately she first called the BBB and we warned her it was a scam! She was unwilling to contact law enforcement, however our Kathy Birr did. Police officer showed up. Scam artist didn't. Consumer was advised to call police immediately if these crooks come to her door. She was disappointed she didn't get the money, but very glad we prevented her from being robbed.
SECOND: G.F. Institute, possibly of Kansas City and Illinois, offers "government grants" up to $25,000!
BBB callers have been receiving an official looking bit of mail spewing promises of free government cash. It guarantees a $25,000 grant from the US Government.
Don't believe this high-pressure sales tactic. It is against the law for anyone to promise you or guarantee you a grant in the US. That's for starters. When you contact the number it offers you a "grant guide" for $59.00 that contains names and addresses of grant places you can apply to----
There are no guarantees you will get the grant you apply for. This company is merely offering you a book with addresses for a fee. The rest is up to you. No one can ever guarantee you a grant. The company appears to masquerade as another company called The Landmark Publishing Company of Kansas City, offering the same recorded message to callers.
Tips: * No government grant-making agency will make phone calls; send email or letters to solicit money or personal banking information from a potential grant recipient.
* There are no processing fees for federal grants.
* Federal grants are not issued for personal use, but are intended for institutions and non-profits to carry out projects with a public purpose.
* Know who you're dealing with on the web. Scam artists will often post a web site with a name similar to a legitimate site. For US federal government sites, the extension should always be
.gov; sites without this extension are fraudulent.
* If you have provided personal banking information to anyone claiming to be associated with a federal grant agency, call your bank immediately to prevent unauthorized access to your account. And if you see hucksters with question marks on their coat on TV claiming all sorts of free government cash, ignore their worthless baloney.
Finally: Nominations Time! Each year the BBB salutes our most ethical companies with our Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. It's a tremendous honor to companies that are dedicated to honesty and fair dealing. Who are they? We need your nominations NOW! Deadline for nominations is February 28th and each person who nominates a company will automatically be entered in a drawing for two free tickets to Cedar Point. Customers, employees, vendors, donors, volunteers or business associates are welcome to nominate a company or charity, and nominating your OWN business is encouraged. Call us for a nomination form at (419) 578-6000 or 800-542-5539. The Torch Awards luncheon will be May 14 and will also be our BBB's 90th Anniversary celebration.
Ric Herrold, BBB