I was looking to open a cyber coffee shop to bring some new business to our local economy. I had a major stumbling block, no way to get financing. I searched the web and found a site called http://www.mgrtoday.org / I read over the information as it was at that time, and it all sounded so good to me I had someone else read over it before I called their toll free number for more information. It sounded equally good to them, so I filled out their form plus called to speak to someone.
This all happened the very end of October. I was told that I had to send their fee for doing the submissions for me and it had to be received by November 4 so they could get a submission package put together for me for a $95,000.00 grant they assured me I was 100% qualified for.
I was told to send a certified or bank check and a packet of information I would receive via email with all appropriate signature lines completed overnight so that it would be received in time. The amount they required to submit me for all possible grants for which I qualified for the next 12 months was $449.00. (I am amazed to see from this site that same amount over and over again)
Fortunately my SSI check arrived in time for me to send the check and papers they requested. I did not think I was being frauded because I realized that there are legitimate grant submissions companies out there that write and submit proposals for people who wouldn't know how to do it for themselves.
I was in contact with a man by the name of Sam Roughstein (not sure on spelling) He told me he was my 'contact' person and he would be taking a copy of my business plan and applications (s) and submitting them with a proposal written by him to all available grants which I qualified for over the next 12 months.
To try to shorten a very long story I am not only out the $449.00 but also printing, binding fees and mailing fees of my business plan with the other
application 'surveys' I had to complete. I finally got tired of hearing the same any day now and any time now answers I have been getting about the approval letter since the middle of December and I began searching the web for information on this 'company'.
I found this site and an email address to a man named Michael Bollen at MGR. I emailed him threatening to report MGR to the TX attorney general and Ohio Attorney general offices. He called me right away and assured me that by the deadline date I gave him (3/15/07) I would have received the letter. NO LETTER!
I am reporting here first so that others don't get blinded sided by the amazing amount of convincing BS these people can spew. Buyer beware, there must be some credible proposal writing agencies out there, but I am not sure this is one of them.
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