Congressman Cleaver Urges Missourians to Remain Vigilant Against So-Called “Government Grant Scams”
Urges Public to Immediately Report Any Incidents to Federal Trade Commission
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II announced his intention to bring awareness to criminal "government grant scams" that prey on vulnerable Americans.
Government grant scams have been around for years and continue to exist partly because many people lack experience with grant systems and procedures. In a common government grant scam a caller will 1) claim to be from a legitimate sounding organization that often does not exist such as the "Federal Grant Association" 2) tell their potential victims that they qualify for government grant money and 3) will request either a bank account number, or that the potential victim sends a payment in order to process the grant. A criminal may also publish an advertisement in local papers, or magazines in order to solicit additional victims. Make no mistake, these "free" money grant schemes are undeniably scams.
Congressman Cleaver urges the public to protect sensitive personal information at all times, especially around the holiday season when scam activity appears to increase. If you believe you may be the victim of a government grant scam, or any other related scam, please report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-866-653-4261 or toll-free at 1-877-FTC-HELP. The Federal Trade Commission is aware of government grant scams and has urged the public to not pay any money to receive "free" government grants.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and also a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.
For more information please contact John Jones – john.h.jones@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-4535.