i received a letter stating a grant award.The address is 318IndianTrace,Ste #440, Weston, FL 33326.My info?

Question

i received aletter stating a grant reward. the address is 318 indian trace, ste #440, weston. it looks real, but i know it's a scam because i have the same confirmation number as others 179-721. how do they get my address and information?

Answer 1

It is easy to get anyone's address and information as there as so many list brokers selling lists and companies selling off their subscribers/customers name and addresses.

I suggest you read the FTC warnings on these so called grant awards

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/03/grantresources.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt134.htm

If you want information on grants -- only go to a GOVERNMENT website, or a site that ends in a .gov. Don't go to any .com, .net or .org site as that is most likely a scammer

You can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two FREE sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support your purposes.

Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently.

Note though that these grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program. Individuals especially for personal purposes are not eligible for federal grants.

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs

Answer 2

They could have also gotten your info from the local tax registry. If you own your home, anyone can go to the county clerk's office and find that out. There's also reverse phone directories available at any public library; if you have (or have ever had) a land line in your name, anyone can go there and look up the street address to find the resident's name. Tons of ways for scammers and junk-mail senders to find your info!

Answer 3

When you fill out things for contests and such you usually put that info on and they sell it....