Attorney General warns of ‘grant scams’

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is warning of “grant scams” after receiving multiple reports in recent weeks.

Across the state, residents are receiving phony offers for federal grants.

“Scam artists will call and say you can get a $9,000 grant from the federal government if you pay a few hundred dollars first. It’s a lie,” DeWine said. “The truth is the scam artists will take your money, but you won’t get anything in return.”

DeWine’s office said the scam often begins when someone receives a phone call or Facebook message about a grant opportunity. Con artists may claim the person has been selected for a grant for being a good citizen, paying taxes, or not having a criminal record, and they tell the person to pay a few hundred dollars to cover processing fees or taxes in order to receive the larger payout. In reality, there is no grant and any money the person sends will be lost.

Most people who report the scam haven’t lost any money, but overall this year, about 50 people have reported losses ranging from $200 to $48,000 to grant scams according to the Attorney General’s Office. Payment usually is made using wire transfers or iTunes cards, which makes it difficult to track or recover the money once it’s sent.

The Cleveland Better Business Bureau reported earlier this year a Middlefield woman lost $70,000 in a grant scam.

The woman’s scam began on Facebook, where she was told she received a $300,000 tax free grant from the “2015-2016 Federal Government Grant Money Program.”

Eventually communication moved from Facebook to email. She was contacted by someone who provided the address for Atlantabased Suntrust Bank. Discussions included mention of the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund but ultimately involved the payment of multiple fees to obtain the grant.

Over the course of several months the woman wire-transferred additional money to a bank account in Houston, Columbus and Bolivar, Missouri. On two occasions she was told to mail cash to an address in Lucasville, Ohio, according to the Better Business Bureau. The grant never came.

DeWine has the following tips to avoid grant scams:

• Don’t pay up front to receive a grant you never applied for

• Be cautious any time you’re asked to pay using a gift card, wire transfer, or money order, which are commonly used in scams

• Keep in mind that true government grants typically are awarded to organizations, not to individual citizens, and information about federal grants is available for free at www. Grants.gov.