Take a look around the net – ads promising $12,000+ stimulus checks in exchange for a small fee, as a result of the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 abound nearly everywhere.
Not surprising – human nature is such that when it comes to finances, it’s inevitable that positive opportunity results in exploitaive behavior. Given the average citizen’s perception of macroeconomics and even their own personal finances, this seems like a golden opportunity for scammers.
Let’s take a look at the anatomy of a Government grant scam:
First of all, I’ll note that the link to the 400+ page pdf is not readily interpretable by even most attorneys. Check out this link:
You’ll notice the shrewd headline – …”use with caution…web site was created for people who actually want money..” Clearly this isn’t for the casual inquiry about how they might attain someone else’s tax money.
Another critical element which provides “social proof” is the CNN and CNBC logos. This company has never been featured (at least in a positive fashion) in either of these media sources. This is an extremely shrewd sourcing of fake testimonials, which scammers rely on since they’ll likely have no positive testimonials. When you see press logos, see if they were actually featured! In most cases, the reference is merely providing some general statement which is being used to craft validity for the service or offer.
Scrolling further down the page we happen upon a statement:
Our FREE SOFTWARE contains everything you need to know about how and where to access your grant money and can be shipped directly to your home or office within a matter of days. Not only will you learn how to find the grant that’s right for you if you do in fact qualify, but you’ll also have all the tools and resources you need to apply for this money with all the clutter cut out.
Free software! What a deal…soon you’ll be a college graduate, your neighbors will have paid off your mortgage and you’ll finally have that zero interest loan for the charter fishing boat you’ve always dreamed of!
Nearing the end of the page, I see a cost…wait a second, what happened to free? Yep, $2.29 S&H for the CD. Between me you and the wall, it’s much easier to provide free access a relatively small software program via a download link.
You might be wondering if it’s worth it…that I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is that if YOU can get someone to pay $2.29, this site will pay you $27.00 — you do the math. This I’m sure, is where the scam comes in.
Happy Grant Hunting!
p.s. – When you get to the page, you only have 10 minutes to find out whether you qualify! But, if you reload the page the clock starts again…but you have to deal with the video again…use caution 