Have you heard about a government program that will pay your monthly bills for an up-front payment or processing fee? Here’s a short version of the rest of this post: It’s a scam. Don’t do it.
We’ve heard that this scam is happening in some African-American church communities: people approach church-goers with this so-called deal. And, because it comes up in church, the scam might seem like it could be legit. But take it from me – and the FTC: there is no federal program that pays your monthly bills in exchange for payment of any kind.
What really happens if you pay these scammers? They look real for a minute because they “pay your bills” electronically – but then they cancel the payment. You think your bill is paid, but you’re stuck with not only the original bill, but also a late fee because your payment wasn’t actually processed. And now the scammers have your bank or credit information. Doesn’t sound like much of a deal at all.
If you need help paying bills, or know someone who does, there are some legitimate government sites that can connect you with programs that help with things like medical bills and energy services for people who are eligible. But they won’t ask you to pay them. Also check out how to make a budget or find a credit counselor who can help you manage your money.
It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.
The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to I received facebook inbox by Askin
In reply to I received facebook inbox by Askin
In reply to I received facebook inbox by Askin
A FRIEND OF MINE TOM CONWAY ON FACEBOOK CHAT INFORMED ME OF A GOVERNMENT GRANT THAT HE RECEIVED. AND, OF COURSE, HE GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO TEXT A PERSON NAMED ..MARIAN COOK ANNETTE AT (202-852-3077) I QUALIFIED FOR THE GRANT. AFTER GIVING MY INFORMATION NAME, ADDRESS, BIRTHDAY, EMAIL, OWN MY HOME AND SALARY.
SHE SAID I HAD TO SEND A MONEYGRAM $1200 TO THIS ADDRESS TANJRA CHANEL ROSS AT 1410 N. MORRIS BLOOMINGTON ILL. 60701..AFTER A WHILE SHE CAME BACK AND I NEEDED TO SEND $300 MORE BY WESTERN UNION. THAT'S WHEN I CALLED MY FRIEND TOM HE DID'NT ANSWER BUT SOMEONE WITH AN ASCENT ANSWERED.
In reply to A FRIEND OF MINE TOM CONWAY by MSMARY
If you used Western Union to send money to a scammer, you can report it to Western Union’s complaint department at 1-800-448-1492 or online.
Make a note of the date you filed the complaint with Western Union. Be sure to keep any documents you have about the scam and the money transfer.
In reply to I just received a call from a by Lisa
I have just received an email from a friend who told me about a grant from the IMF? to pay bills for retired people. I clicked on the site: .facebook. com/ onlineagentaccess / and it looks like a real facebook page. Stupidly, I sent them personal info but not a ssa # or financial info. Just my mother's name, my address, age, dob, phone, my full name. And i got into an argument with the "agent" about it being a scam, and I accused my fake FB friend of not being the real friend. The fake friend argued with me too. Am I in danger of identity theft?
In reply to I have just received an email by Susan A
It's good that you didn't share your Social Security number or financial information, but when you give any personal information to a scam site, there's a risk that a scammer will get it and use it.
Here are some warning signs of identity theft. If these things happen to you, go to IdentityTheft.gov to report identity theft and get a personal recovery plan.
In reply to I have just received an email by Susan A
In reply to The phone number and names by Marthap
In reply to Government Grant for $9,000 by Paige419
In reply to Government Grant for $9,000 by Paige419
I received calls from Washington DC, Georgia and Oregon on 3/6/17. These are the numbers: 404-462-2503 202-683-2142 541-780-0062 Twice I talked to David from different numbers. He wanted to argue when I told him it was a scam. Already reported to FTC and FBI
is this guy a scammer on federal grants, he said send him 500$ he will get a federal grant of $50,000 in 6 hours really have you heard of him on facebook calls himself Robert James
Account Settings Cover Photo, Image may contain: 1 person, crowd and indoor Robert James Add FriendMessage Timeline About Friends Photos More Robert James's Profile Photo, Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, standing and suit
In reply to I have a similar complaint by mzemba
You can report this to the FTC at FTC.gov/complaint. You can provide information about the company, what it promised, and what you received. The information you give goes into a database that law enforcement uses for investigations.
In reply to +1 (832) 608-7185 William by skully
Pagination