The scammer lets the person on the phone know they are eligible for a few thousand dollars in government grants and will deposit that money into a bank account immediately. After they hand over their personal information of course…

Government Grant Telemarketing Scams

The FTC writes…

“Because you pay your income taxes on time, you have been awarded a $12,500 government grant! To get your free grant, simply give us your checking account information, and we will deposit the grant into your bank account!”

You may receive a message like this, where the caller claims to be from a government agency or some other organization with an official sounding name. Or you may see an ad that claims you will qualify to receive a “free grant” to pay for education costs, home repairs, home business expenses, or bills. In any case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back.

Offers of “money for nothing” grants usually are scams, whether you hear about them on the phone or see them in your local paper, a national magazine, or a slick looking website.

The scam is rather simple, but it’s effective. Scammers are calling people and informing them that the victim is eligible for a free government grant to help with education costs, mortgages, home repairs or just bills in general. The scammer will then tell you that they need your banking information in order to directly deposit the grant money into your account.

Reports are going around that scammers are saying they need credit card information to process a “transaction fee” that is completely reversible once the grant money is deposited. This is all a scam to get as much personal information out of you as quickly as possible. Do not fall for it!

Information on real government grants can be found here: Grants.gov but like it says on their website, they do no offer personal financial assistance.

How to Avoid Grant Scams

The FTC has the following advice…

1. Don’t pay any money for a “free” government grant. If you have to pay money to claim a “free” government grant, it isn’t really free. The names of agencies and foundations that award grants are available for free at any public library or on the Internet. The only official access point for all federal grant-making agencies is www.grants.gov.
2. Check the correct names of government agencies. Just because the caller says they’re from the “Federal Grants Administration” doesn’t mean that they are. There is no such government agency. Check your telephone directory.
3. Take your time. There’s no rush. Scammers pressure people to divulge their bank account information so that they can steal the money in the account. Always keep your bank account information to yourself. Don’t share it unless you are familiar with the company and know why the information is necessary.
4. Eliminate telemarketing calls you don’t want by registering your number on the National Do Not Call Registry.

The biggest pressure tactic to be on the lookout for is number three. Don’t let a scammer bully you into thinking you’re going to lose out on a lot of free money if you don’t sign up RIGHT NOW. They want you to make a quick, irrational decision and before you have a chance to process what just happened, they’re running off with all of your personal information.

It’s more than sickening to hear that the people who need help the most are the ones being targeted by scammers. Stay educated and question everything that seems out of place to protect yourself.

Recommended Links:
‘Free Government Grants’: Don’t Take Them For Grant-ed
Mortgage Payments Sending You Reeling? Here’s What to Do
Grants.gov

They’re generally positive, but I do run into the occasional grumpy person who seems to be diverting a lot of misplaced anger at me. I wanted to share a few emails I’ve received recently. I’ll keep the more vulgar ones out. No one should ever have to read those.

Let’s start with…

how do i kno ur not a scammer?

I love this question.

To answer this, I’d want to say the opposite of whatever a scammer would say so I wouldn’t sound like a scammer myself, right? So, let’s see, what would a scammer say if you asked if he or she was a scammer? They’d probably say something like, “No, I’m not a scammer.” So, I’d want to say the opposite of that… “Yes, I’m a scammer?”

Damnit.

Well that didn’t quite work out as planned.

There’s no real way to answer this question. I usually just tell the reader to look at our Archives Page. There are nearly 1,000 posts in there written over the span of five years. Almost all of them are warnings to stay away from a certain program or product.

A lot of these articles rank really high in search engine results. I could very easily change the review to a positive one, slap in an affiliate link, and make a ton of money, but that’s not what this site is about. This is probably the best proof I have to offer that I am, in fact, not a scammer.

You think your so smart but I have you all figured out.

Please share. I haven’t quite figured myself out yet and would love to know the results of your findings.

OMG. I TRUSTED you. And now you want me to pay to see the work at home jobs. I should have known this was all a scam just to get all my money.

The guide in question is my 121 Hidden Online Jobs report and it costs $7. If that’s ALL your money, I think you may have some more pressing issues.

A few people got angry at me when I released this guide. I didn’t really understand the hate. The guide lists 121 different work at home companies that are hiring. It took me well over 100 hours to research and create. I offer free life-time updates. I give away a free copy of my 45-page Complete Guide to Telecommuting. I regularly give away random amounts of money to customers. It only costs $7.00.

Yes I charge money for it, but that money goes toward operating costs for I’ve Tried That. Plus, IT’S ONLY $7. You’d easily spend that money on a bucket of hot wings. I think this is a much better value for your money and you’re not at risk of dripping hot sauce on your shirt. That’s money saved man.

They’re not all bad however. Take this for example…

I need to say thank you. I was just hired as a customer service agent for one of the companies listed in your guide. I had almost lost all hope that it was possible to find a real work at home job and then I found I’ve Tried That. I’ll be starting next Monday and I will be working full time from home! Best wishes and I can’t wait to tell all my friends about your site!

Yes, I’m gloating.

But I just LOVE emails like these. They instantly brighten my day and I get insanely productive.

If I’ve tried That has helped you in any way, please do share. These types of stories help me keep the site going better than any $7 eBook ever could. I love to hear that people find value in my work and that my site has been able to improve your life.

Plus, it’s much better to hear that I don’t suck.

Happy Friday!

(I didn’t know how to end this post.)

Is it real, you ask? Well, let’s find out.

Is VirtaPay a Scam?

This one is tough because there’s nothing really going on here. There’s no product to buy or money to invest. You sign up for an account, receive $25 and VirtaPay promises to “give” you $20 every day that you sign in. Only problem is, you can’t actually do anything with the money. It’s just some arbitrary number that goes up every day.

That’s really all there is to the program.

I checked their Facebook fan page and there are currently some 49,000 people who ‘Like’ Virtapay. Let’s assume the company has 50,000 members total. I’m sure that number is much higher, but the nice rounded number will make for some easy math.

Okay, 50,000 members all receiving a $25 sign on bonus comes out to $1.25 MILLION dollars they’ve just “giving” away for no reason. Plus, they give out $20 per day just for signing in. Again, at 50,000 members this is ONE MILLION DOLLARS PER DAY FOR DOING NOTHING. There’s no way a company can just give away a million dollars EVERY single day for no reason at all. That’s not how businesses work.

Let’s envision this program off the Internet. Say there’s a store that hands out $20 bills just for walking in the front door. You walk in, collect your $20, then walk out.

That’s it!

It sounds completely absurd, no? The line to get into the store would be miles long. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, let me just point out this little paragraph from the Terms & Condition page…

All account balances are held in VirtaPay virtual currency. VirtaPay maintains a virtual currency that is autonomous and independent of all nations and governments. The VirtaPay currency is denominated in dollars and cents (similar to the currency of the United States and over 20 other countries). The VirtaPay currency is currently in a closed system, and cannot be exchanged or spent outside of this system. Our plans include person-to-person transactions, integration with merchants and shopping cart systems, and much more. As is the case with any currency, once the VirtaPay currency comes into widespread use, its value as weighted against other world currencies can and will fluctuate due to market forces such as supply and demand, etc.

That’s straight from VirtaPay’s mouth. The money is useless and means nothing. You can’t exchange it or spend it on anything outside of VirtaPay. It’s absolutely meaningless and VirtaPay agrees.

The Bottom Line

The old mantra “if it sounds too good to be true…” comes into mind here. No one is going to pay you $20 per day just for signing into a website.

It just doesn’t happen.

Airbnb

Airbnb has got to be one of the most novel concepts I’ve heard of in years. For those who like to play host (or the exceedingly brave) it could be a great way to bring in some extra cash on the side.

Airbnb helps you rent out a space in your home to travelers looking for a more “homey” vacation experience. It’s a lot like couch surfing, except you charge guests to stay at your place. You don’t need to run a Bed & Breakfast either. The space you rent can be anything from a sleeping bag on your living room floor to a penthouse suite overlooking a major city. If you have room and are comfortable renting your place to strangers, you can list your space at Airbnb. They will handle everything from reserving booking dates and processing the payments.

There are thousands of spaces listed from all across the world. This could be a great way to meet some interesting people while making some extra cash on the side. If you’re looking to travel, Airbnb can be a great way to save some cash and get a more fulfilling experience out of your vacation.

Click here and check out Airbnb.

RentAFriend

I don’t think they could have picked a more depressing name, but damn is it accurate. RentAFriend lets you, quite simply, rent out your friendship for a price. It’s not a dating website or an escort service. Instead, you lend out your companionship and get paid to spend time with other people.

You can get hired for any social events from going out drinking at a bar to accompanying someone to church and everything in between. I agree that the concept is a little bizarre, but to the adventurous individual in need of some cash, this one is well worth trying out. I’d love to hear some reader experiences regarding RentAFriend. If you have any stories, please post them in the comments.

Click here and check out RentAFriend.

Craigslist

Surprisingly, Craigslist is the most tame website in this list. There’s more to Craigslist than just apartment rentals and fake job scams. I’m specifically talking about Craigslist’s Services and For Sale sections.

The Services section is a great way to sell your skills online. These can be online skills like graphic design or writing or manual labor skills like moving assistance or handyman jobs. I actually advertised my computer repair service on Craigslist for years. It helped me pay my way through college.

The For Sale section is useful for selling your old stuff locally. I’ve sold furniture, cellphones, and other electronics through Craigslist. These are items I normally would have shoved into a storage closet and quickly forgotten about. Instead, I decided to sell them and pick up a few extra hundred dollars. My best advice is to ALWAYS deal locally, meet in a crowded public location, and bring along a friend.

Click here and browse Craigslist in-depth now.

There are a few benefits to becoming a fan of I’ve Tried That…

• You can get instant access to updates posted here directly in your news feed. Stay ahead of the curve regarding new work at home job offers and scam alerts.
• I’ll be sharing different links and articles that I’ve found around the web that I think you could benefit from.
• You can interact with me on a more personal level.
• I’ll be posting exclusive Facebook-only material that you only fans will see.
• Finally, I’ll be holding different giveaways, starting with this one…

Become a Fan and Enter to Win $25!

As a special thank you for liking our page, I’ll be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to a random fan. All you need to do is Like our page and leave a comment on my very first post. Here’s a screenshot of the post you need to comment on:

Find that one, leave a comment, and I’ll randomly pick a winner next Friday and send them a $25 giftcard to Amazon. That’s December 17th. Seven days from now. Just in time for the holidays.

Click here and become a fan of I’ve Tried That on Facebook now!

And while it won’t increase your chances of winning, you should really click the Like button at the bottom of this post as well. Spread the word.

Thanks for your support! : )

Apparently a bunch of dudes who go by the name “American Tax Relief” have been telling non-qualifying consumers that they qualify for different tax alleviating programs and then proceed to charge them upwards of $25,000 to help them settle their debts and cut back the amount of money they owe.

You have to be pretty twisted to prey on and steal from people who are suffering in debt. A handful of people have asked me about this company specifically and I sincerely hope the FTC helps them recover any lost funds.

For the record, the FTC has outlined a few ways to help you handle any tax issues including tax relief. You can check them out by clicking here.

It’s good to hear of some justice in the world. The FTC writes…

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal judge has halted a national operation that allegedly bilked consumers out of more than $60 million by falsely claiming it can reduce people’s tax debts – the company’s California state business license was suspended last year for not paying its own taxes, the FTC alleges. The FTC is seeking to make the defendants pay restitution to victims.

“We’ve made it a top priority to go after scammers who try to exploit the financial hardship of others,” said David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “For people having a tough time paying their taxes, the last thing they need is to lose more money to a fraud.”

According to the FTC, in TV, radio and Internet ads, American Tax Relief LLC falsely claims it can settle consumers’ delinquent federal and state taxes for a fraction of the amount they owe. The company also falsely claims that it can remove tax liens and stop wage garnishments, bank and tax levies, property seizures, and “unbearable monthly payments.” For example, the company’s website states, “The IRS is currently accepting a fraction of back taxes owed to them (sic) for those who qualify. The IRS is allowing the people with delinquent tax liabilities a ONE-TIME opportunity to settle the debt ONCE AND FOR ALL. But at the same time, the IRS does not advertise, promote or even voluntarily suggest this program.”

The FTC alleges that the company has continued its deceptive practices even after federal agents executed a criminal search warrant on the operation’s Beverly Hills business premises in April, 2010. At that time, criminal authorities seized money from bank accounts and a Ferrari from the company’s owner, and placed liens on two residences, including a $3.4 million house. At the time, one of the company’s owners was leasing six other vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, a Bentley, two Porsches, and two Mercedes-Benzes, according to exhibits the FTC filed in court.

American Tax Relief charges up-front fees ranging from about $3,200 to $25,000 for the purported tax relief services. The company’s ads include a toll-free number for consumers to call for a “free consultation.” After speaking briefly with commission-based sales people who are supposedly “tax consultants,” virtually all consumers are told that they “qualify” for a tax relief program, and that American Tax Relief can help them significantly reduce their tax debts, the FTC complaint alleges.

In reality, very few of the company’s customers qualify for the promised tax relief programs, which are available only in very limited circumstances. Most people who hire the company would qualify at most for installment payment plans, which still require payment of the full amount owed, and which many taxpayers can easily arrange by themselves.

Click here to read the full press release.

If you’ve been scammed by American Tax Relief or a similar company, please TELL THE FTC. They can shut down scammers, prevent them from ripping off other people and can work on getting your money back. File a complaint on their website by clicking here or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

Well, last week, a friend of mine was robbed. Some lowlife broke into his apartment and stole his computer, laptop, TV, and a few other things. While he was able to recover some of the money through his insurance, there is NO CHANCE of recovering his documents and pictures on the stolen computers.

I have over 10,000 pictures and over 100 videos saved on my computer. These files are the only copies I have of them. If I were to lose them, I’d be absolutely devastated. Now, look at your own computer. Think of all the memories you have saved to it. What would happen to them all if your computer stopped working? Would you be able to recover them or would they be lost forever?

Maybe it’s time you join me in securely backing up everything you have saved.

My BackBlaze Review

I started to shop around and compared the dozen or so online backup solutions before landing at a company called BackBlaze. They claim to have a highly-efficient encrypted storage center that allows users to back up an unlimited amount of data. Other companies offer “unlimited” backup options, but nearly all of them actually placed a cap on how much you could back up or charged more once you began backing up too much. BackBlaze does neither. You can back up as many files as you want for one low flat rate. I was sold.

I installed BackBlaze and it automatically began to backup ALL of my files. This is how it operates by default. It simply backs up everything important on your computer. I didn’t have to specify which folders or files to start backing up. It immediately took control and started saving ALL of my personal files. I like this approach because it saves me time and I don’t have to worry about forgetting to backup a certain folder when EVERYTHING is backed up.

The initial backup did take a total of three days to complete. After that, BackBlaze has been quietly humming along in the background to make sure that my backup is current and the most current version of my files have been saved.

Once my initial backup had finished, I logged in to test the process of restoring files and was surprised at just how easy it was to recover files. BackBlaze saves your files online exactly the same way they are stored on your computer. I went to my pictures folder, picked a few pictures at random, and clicked restore. BackBlaze said I would receive an email in a few minutes with a zip all of the files I selected to restore. The email came instantly and I was able to download a copy of my pictures right to my computer.

As soon as I opened the zip file with all of my pictures, I knew I had made the right choice and am confident in BackBlaze to securely store everything that I have.

BackBlaze: The Bottom Line

If you haven’t been backing up your files or you’ve been putting off the process, I highly suggest you download BackBlaze TODAY. Click here to go to their website and click the big orange button that says “Start Backing Up.” Their software will download and after you install it, it will automatically start backing up your data.

You can try the service out for 15 days for free to see if it’s for you. After that, it is only $5 per month to keep your data safe with discounts at one and two year purchases. I ordered a year for $50 saving me from paying two months worth of fees. It’s a small price to pay to know I’m not going to lose any of my precious memories.

Click here and check out BackBlaze today!

I know it’s odd for a work at home blog owner to write about why he hates working from home, but there’s a lot more to this life than most people don’t realize. When you think about working from home full time, you probably picture an easy going life where you get to do whatever you want, whenever you want, while wearing whatever you want.

Yes, there are quite a few perks, but there are other disadvantages you don’t have to deal with when you work in a traditional job. Take this example, a lot of people seem to think what I do is easy and not professional. Someone went as far as to argue that what I do isn’t important because, “it’s just a blog.” The same guy went on to belittle my line of work by saying his 8 year old nephew has a blog and he could do what I do.

So yeah, just like every other job, working from home has its advantages and disadvantages. Eddy’s latest post covers a few of the disadvantages, including assumptions, loneliness, TAXES, juggling, and people talking about his career path. It’s a fantastic read. His take on loneliness really hits home. Here’s a short excerpt.

2. Loneliness.

I don’t mean to get all sensitive on you, but one of the things that I actually miss about working offline is the everyday interaction with my co-workers, “sight seeing” in the park with my boys, after work drinks, etc. I feel like I took a lot of that stuff for granted while being there. The truth is working at home full time makes you feel isolated and you become a hermit. Now for my personality this isn’t such a bad thing. But even so, I do miss that human interaction. I’ve had to resort to Facebook and sites like Mylot to alleviate some of that loneliness. I also visit my ex co-workers from time to time. With that all said, would I trade being at home full time to be back to the rate race? Hell to the nah! I’m not that lonely and why I have a dog! But seriously I do occasionally miss that social interaction.

Loneliness is definitely the biggest drawback regarding working at home for me. There are days where I definitely miss being able to talk to someone face to face regarding problems with my work. Like Eddy, I still wouldn’t trade my current job for a full-time one in an office, but there a few things I do miss.

I highly suggest you click here and read his post entirely. It’s well worth the time. Be sure to leave him a comment too!

Man vs. Debt lists quite a few blogs that can help you pay off your debt, get organized, do what you love, and much, much more. It’s a great list that’s entirely worth looking through if you’re in need of some inspiration.

Here’s a small sample of a few blogs in the list. I’ve actually been following these same blogs for years.

Sell Your Crap

Leading blogs focusing on simplicity, minimalism, clutter, and/or organization.

Zen Habits

Zen Habits was the first official blog I ever followed consistently. Actually, it was Leo who turned me onto personal finance blogs like Get Rich Slowly and The Simple Dollar early on. Leo has been driving the online Simplicity-movement for years now and shows no signs of stopping. If you are new to Zen Habits, I suggest starting with the Zen Habits Guided Tour Leo has put together. There is some truly remarkable content buried within this site!

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project is both a blog and a best-selling book by Gretchen Rubin. While the Happiness Project (both the blog and the book) covers all facets of happiness, Gretchen devotes a big portion of the beginning of the book to talking about how she attacked the “clutter” in her life (I nodded my head the first several chapters)! Gretchen does an amazing job of engaging her community, asking for input, and reaching out via video. The Best of The Happiness Project page contains popular links on everything from Clutter to Relationships. Start there!

UnClutterer

Unclutterer is a blog edited and run by Erin Doland. Almost all of the content on the blog is extremely tangible (how-to’s, gidgets, gadgets, or specific information) and the far majority is focused on either decluttering or organizing in some fashion.

Click here and check out the full list now.

There is a bit of a downside here though. It’s good to follow a few blogs, but be careful that you don’t get too wrapped up in reading and following up dates. You still need to allocate time to doing! Pick a handful of blogs to follow that you feel would benefit you best. You don’t need to read every little piece of advice that’s out there.

What blogs do you follow on a regular basis (besides this one, of course)?

Every day, American consumers decide how and where to spend their money. Their decisions have far-reaching effects for both their financial well-being and our Nation’s economic stability. National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) gives all Americans an opportunity to become better-informed consumers.

This year, NCPW focuses on the importance of being a careful consumer at every stage of life, from grade school to retirement. To help our children grow into financially responsible adults and avoid frauds and scams, we must help them understand the marketplace. Parents and educators can play a role by teaching them about advertising and marketing, smart financial practices, and keeping personal information safe and secure.

So what exactly does the NCPW mean for you?

Well, the FTC has put together a rather nifty website breaking down several topics ranging from banking to health costs to mortgages and how you can protect yourself (and your wallet) from getting scammed.

There’s one particular section that I do insist you read over is the Scam Watch category. The FTC does a rather good job breaking down some of the most popular scams out there today. They cover topics like fake check scams, fake computer security warnings, job scams, and consumer scam prevention tips. I highly suggest you click here and read the scam watch page and forward this article along to your friends and family to help keep them protected as well.

The 2010 Consumer Action Handbook

In addition to NCPW, the Federal Citizen Information Center has issued the 2010 Consumer Action Handbook. The handbook is a lovely 172 page guide covering how to be a savvy consumer, to preventing identity theft, to filing a formal complaint. The guide is absolutely free for you to download and should answer all of your common consumer questions. Click here to look through the Consumer Action Handbook now.