3/18/2009
Don't Fall for Stimulus Plan Schemes
by Laura Fine, Assistant State Director
The Obama Stimulus Package has led to a significant increase in the number of internet and e-mail schemes to get your money. Do not be fooled by offers telling you how to get free government money to start your business or to pay off your individual debt. There is not free money available for this! Several Web sites and internet ads state that free government grants are available and will even show you pictures of people who have received their checks. This is all a scam.
Typically, these sites try to sell you a book or CD that will tell you how to get your free money. Some are even offering these resources free, but you have to pay $1.98 in shipping with your credit card to get it.
For more information on this topic, read the article written by Jarrett Byrom of the Small Business Development Center National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNet) at:
http://sbdcnet.org/sbdcs-in-the-news/scam-alert-there-are-no-obama-stimulus-checks-or-grants.php
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center also has an article, Small Business Grant Information, on its website describing the myths and facts about small business grants.
http://asbtdc.ualr.edu/business-information/510-grant-information.asp
Contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Arkansas Attorney General's Office to report scams of this nature at: (800) 682-2007 and visit their Web site at: http://ag.arkansas.gov/consumers_protection.html for postings of scam alerts.
