Yesterday morning I was about to go out and run errands when two nice looking young women/looking like college students knocked on my door and flashed something that looked like a non profit org certification in my face and
started talking about earning points for a grant (which sent signals to my brain but I didn't have enough caffeine in me to really sort it out).
It was freezing outside and they asked if they could come in and I let them come into the living room. I talked to them for about an hour and then they reiterated the reason for their "visit". They were selling magazines to get points to get a grant to start their own businesses. It was the grant part that bothered me. If they had said scholarship, or something else I would have not been on to them, sadly, it has taken me about 24 hours to figure out they were scam artists. I am rarely taken in by scam artists
but they seemed as innocent as pie.
I know how grants work and most of them are government funded and are free. They never have to be paid back and I've never heard of a grant that required this kind of action. I did not give them a check or cash. I put it on a credit card, thankfully so that I can dispute the charge and fill out a fraud report and file an
affidavit with my credit card company.
If I have to close this account and get another card and number, i will do so to protect myself. Nor did they explain to me that I had 3 days to cancel the subscription.
When I googled this company as was my fear, I can't find a single thing on them except that they are fraudulent. This should be telling, on their "receipts" they say "checks payable to cash are bonded for immediate credit and may be cashed locally". Any legitimate company would not be in such a rush to get cash in hand. What this tells me is that they, the scammers are primarily interested in cash and checks.
At least I put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly enough but I should have never allowed myself to be taken in by them in the first place. Sadly, this means that I won't ever again be donating to anyone
who knocks on my door no matter how cute and cuddly they come across.
They also told me they were hesitant to take my credit card because hey knew that I could cancel/dispute the charge and have it removed. I am calling my credit card company today and also alerting my local news station and newspaper about this company so that others will not be taken in by them.
Rachel
gulfport, Mississippi
U.S.A.
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