I was immediately skeptical when I received a phone call from a non-fluent English speaking representative from "Advantage AMerica." I was moments away from hanging up when the male representative nearly pleaded with me not to pass up this free government grant money which was already mine. They just needed some information from me to process the grant. WHY DID I FALL FOR THAT? I questioned him repeatedly.
How much money?"$12,500." He said I'd receive the $500 grocery coupons and the $12,000 would be direct-deposited into my bank account. He immediately requested my bank account number.
I refused to tell him, insisting that no legitimate government funding opportunity I knew of required me giving bank numbers over the phone. I requested information by mail FIRST so that I could look it over. He said I'd get the info in the mailin 2-3 days. But I had to give him the bank account number and routing numbers over the phone.
What's your name?"Williams Peterson." He stated.
What company is this?"Advantage America"
Where are you located?"Winterpark Florida"
What department are you in?"The Grants Department."
What is your employeed ID?"ID#CD1007."
He seemed to be getting frustrated with my incessant grand inquisition. He was especially frustrated that I couldn't understand him through his thick Middle Eastern accent. He insisted that he would switch me over to talk with his boss, who was supposed to clarify and legitimize this company for me, Iguess. Then he told me I'd be directed to a phone conference.
So then the "boss" was connected to my call and I put him through the ringer. He, too, had a thick Middle Eastern accent and I could hardly understand him.
What's your name?"Jake Daniel." What amazingly American sounding names for two different people who were obviously not native to the country! I noticed another writer wrote that she suspects these people prey on women. I have to add to that assumption that they prey on Minority women! A previous writer being Hispanic, and I being African American.
What's your phone number? What's your extension?"866-503-7345 ext. 3333"
After he answered these questions, he tried to sign me up for 10 days free long distance, which Ican cancel in 10 days. I insisted no, but got roped into it during the phone conference. He gave me a phone number to call to cancel (1-800-923-8939). I noticed that 7 days have gone by and I don't have any free long distance services available on my phone. WHAT A LIE!
So then we went to the phone conference, where my answers were tape-recorded, including my bank numbers, and my registration to this long distance service that I said I didn't want. I was also given an 8-digit confirmation ID# that I would allegedly need to process my grant. At the end of the conference, "Jake Daniel" (if that's his real name) told me that I would receive papers in the mail from Advantage America in 2-3 days that needed to be signed and returned. Then my grant money would be processed and directly deposited into my bank account.
Well, it's been a week later and still, NO PAPERS! PLus they made plans to automatically debit my account $49 for some kind of one-time fee. Then they said they'd offer me another opportunity for life-long membership to Advantage America to receive grants in future for up to $8,000. But that would cost me $199 (or was it $299? &either way, it was more cash than I was willing to spend on these scam artists!).
I was preparing to make phone calls to them to request my belated paperwork when I got curious and decided to research this "company" online. I ran across several warnings and consumer complaintss about this same company running this same scam in Georgia and Florida. Well, there's one more state to add to that growing list of victims.in fact, I checked my account immediately after reading these reports to find my account shockingly a couple hundred dollars overdrawn with a negative balance that I know I couldn't have done!
What's frightening is that these people already had all my personal information, name, mailing address, phone number before I ever answered the phone&and I have no clue how they got it (but I know all that sensitive information is always floating out there in cyberspace). All they needed was bank numbers, and that's exactly what they targeted. BEWARE!
I pray no one else is taken by this company. Obey your gut instincts, no matter how much money they tell you is available or already yours. NEVER GIVE BANK NUMBERS OVER THE PHONE!!! I just had my purse stolen last year and had to change my bank account. Now I've got to change my account AGAIN this year! Please! Don't let this happen to you!
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