Stimulus Check Scams Crawl Across the Web
It’s been done before: con artists are offering “free” software on how to receive government grant checks. According to the come-hither claims, a majority of U.S. citizens qualify for grant checks—we just have to know how to go about getting them.
However, the impact of such bogus sites is bigger than ever in the wake of the development of an actual Washington stimulus package plan. Real government moves (or talk of them) are opening the door for more scam artists than ever, who are using the believability factor—as well as a tough economy—to push their product farther than ever.
Worst of all, people are responding to the overblown claims despite glaringly similar con-artistry in the past, reports say.
What is a Government Grant Check Scam?
“Find free money!” bogus offers have been around for decades. In the past, they typically involved a “starter kit” that could range anywhere from $60 to $250 or more.
Not this go-round. With a savvy eye on nationwide and global economic troubles, today’s scam men (and women) are advertising their how-to software for free…plus a very economic $2.00 for shipping and handling.
However, once a new client has given his or her payment information for the “free” offer, he is on a so-termed subscription with the “parent company”…without notification to the client himself. At just a few dollars a pop, the victim may not realize he’s being nickel-and-dimed until he’s out an average of $50-70, according to reports (see this full story on the scam and how it works).
Who’s Behind it All?
So far, investigators have been unable to determine whether there’s just one master site, or a constellation of professional scammers who work in concert to make their own easy money.
However, the destination URLs are suspiciously alike—in fact, nearly identical, reports say.
So are the blogs that claim to be hosted by average Americans who have worked with the “system” and gotten a huge payout in return.
Though one may feature a firefighter and family man while another claims a laid off auto worker is its creator, the stories are very similar and even some of the pictures appear to be of the same individual, the MSN report cited above claims.
Meanwhile, an MSN reporter attempted to contact and even visit locations for any of the so-called businesses, with little to no success—in one instance, a supposed call center in the Philippines was untraceable, and in another, a New York address didn’t lead to an actual office.
What to Do About The Problem
The answer is clear, or it should be: if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so don’t hand over your credit card information, whether “for verification purposes”, to cover a small shipping charge or for any other reason.
But in today’s tough economy, the solution may not be so simple, experts say. Fear generated by plummeting stocks, lay-offs and high unemployment rates are driving individuals to take more risks than previously on overblown claims such as the stimulus check gambit.
Perhaps the sadest thing of all is that responding to false hope could potentially leave down-and-out individuals even worse off than before.
Be smart; don’t fall for a get-rich-quick scheme. These have existed for centuries with virtually no positive results for the people who fall prey to them. And spread the word. Let friends and family know when you discover a bogus scheme so they can be forewarned, too. Look out for those who profess to help…but already have one hand in your pocket the moment you click on “free trial.”
