I also got the Kensington invite to apply for a govt. grant for home repair and business. I had to submit my ok to pay thru the electronic check transfer but that it would be post dated and not cashed if i was not satisfied...I refused..I will call the Texas AG's office but he may be out hunting with Chenney.

i also got a card from them. i have been wondering if it was true. so it looks like its a scam.

thank you,
elona

I got a card too.Just called to see what was up.They also got argumentative when asked about the fee.I called for a phone number,does not exist.Typed it on the web and got this.Interesting!Dont do it!

I WAS HOPING THAT THE CARD I GOT WAS REAL BECAUSE I WANNA START MY OWN BUSINESS BUT I GUESS AFTER READING THIS IT MUST BE A SCAM . BUMMER! I GUESS GOD HAS OTHER PLANS OF GETTING ME FINANCIAL HELP TO START MY OWN TANNING/HAIR SALON. THANKS FOR THE INFO.

I RECEIVED AN URGENTGRAM POSTCARD. I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF SO MANY TIMES I HAD TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS. THIS SOUND TO GOOD TO BE TRUE. OFFERING GOV. GRANT OF ATLEAST $5,000 FOR EDUCATION,HOUSING,HEALTH,BUSINESS, OR DISASTER. FREE APP. DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING UP FRONT MONEY.

I received the same post card late last week. I am 21 years old and struggling. The $5000 would be more than enough to set me straight financially and help me rebuild my credit. They sure did a great job on making the post card look legit and sure enough I got very excited, but I was still weery. I didn't know if it was a scam or if they government finally noticed me and took pity on my trying to solve my financial troubles. What made me really weery was the statement on the post card: "Don't Delay - Take advantage of money that is rightfully yours!" The government wouldn't talk like that. Also, if it was really from the government or a financial service, it would have been in an envelope, not stating it to the world something as personal as this. I asked my boyfriend about what he thought, and he said if they ask for your social security number, don't do it. I haven't called them, but I am very thankful that I found these postings about it. What a horrible thing to do to people, and I almost fell for it. I admit I am disappointed to find out that it is bogus, but I am more happy to find out I could've been putting myself in more trouble and never knowing it. I just wish now I could scream it out to the world to not do this. I was lucky enough to find these postings, but so many won't. Thank you again. This was more help than you know.

Bill Responds:

Glad to be able to help.

If you or anyone else still has the card, please send it to me to the Boston address on the right. I want to scan it in and upload it to the site so people can keep an eye out for it in their mail.

If this company is still "fishing" for personal information, I think it's safe to assume they are getting some return on their mailings. I recommend that anyone who gets this immediately contact their local attorney general's office. The only way this outfit will stop these practices is if they are legally forced to.

To be fair, if anyone has actually received a grant using the services of Kensington Assistance Agency, please contact me. Please send me the documentation as the proof, and let me ask you some questions about the process. It will be posted.

i have also received the green post card from kensington assistance agency. well i was the one who went threw the whole process. they took the money out of my account and like 4 weeks later i received a package from them in the mail and i filled that out and returned it and they said it would be like 4 weeks and i would receive my money. well my 4 weeks are up and still no money so i tried to call the numbers that i have for them and now they are out of service. does anyone know what i can do to try and get my money back. any help will be great. thank you

I fell for the scam and I sent the packet back to get my money back and now Kensington change their number so I can't reach them. What must I do?

I received something similar in the mail today, although it was not from Kensington Assistance Agency. it was from Easton Consulting Group.. I have a sneaky suspicion it may be the same thing. here is that number for those of you that actually lost money from this. 1-800-935-4591..

Bill Responds:

MEK, the website for the entity you describe - Easton Consulting Group - does not reference any similar service offered by Kensington. Please mail your card to my attention at my Boston office (the address is located at the right - please scroll up).

If it's the same kind of grant scam that Kensington is/was pushing, I'll post more about it here so we can warn others.

hey, lets say they have my social...but none of my banking info...am i still at risk?

Unless you're in Massachusetts, I cannot give you any legal advice. I recommend you speak with a local consumer protection attorney. If you're in Massachusetts, please call me.

Try calling customer service at 866-889-1903; a changed c-service phone #.

I received three phone calls from the Easton Consulting Group in the last 3 hours. Each time it would ring once, and then the call would end, before i could pick up. When i called the number back i told the woman who answered the phone what happened and asked why they had called, what kind of business were they, etc. She mumbled something briefly and hung up. The number was 1 800 935-4591. I definitely think whatever it is, it is a scam.

I have recieved calls from this number several times. I called back this morning and when a man answered I told him I am returning a call from my caller ID, No Comment and then he hung up.

Earlier, I missed a call from 1-800-935-4591 (After performing an internet search on this unidentified number, I happened upon this page.)

After a brief education from this site about the type of people we are dealing with I decided to call the number and was placed into a phone tree which presented me with two options.

1 - Submit an application

2 - Check the status of an application.

I chose not to use either and instead pressed (0 - Zero) for the operator. Based on various calls to other organizations, pressing Zero the majority of the time will either put you into the Customer Service queue or to someone who knows he 'right' person to talk with or, perhaps an actual corporate receptionist..

I sat on hold for about 5 minutes when a male voice answered.

When I tried to talk to him he immediately placed me on hold. (Presumably, placing me back in the queue.)

After sitting for approx. 5 more minutes on hold I hung up and then called back and chose option 1 from the phone tree.

Another male voice answered.

I asked what his company name was, what they did and why they called me.

Did you apply for a government grant? He replied,

When, I told him "I did not." he then hung up on me.

I then called back and this time a female answered and then she asked to speak with me by name, as if she was the one who called me.

She said – “May I speak with” and she attempted to pronounce my first and last name.

This was prior to me providing any personal information to this 'group'. (Apparently, when you call, they pull up whatever information they can in their database; based on the CallerID of the number you call in with.)

I asked her: What business/service does her company provide?

She did not provide an answer.

I then asked her if she worked for Easton Consulting Group

She hesitantly responded with a ‘Yes'. She added that I was ‘Good' for knowing that.

Then I asked her - If they were affiliated with Kensington Assistance Agency

She then hung up on me.

I decided to Call them back again after about 45 minutes:

This time I chose option '2'.

An operator who said his name was Brandon Mitchell then answered.

I mentioned about the previous representatives hanging up on me.

He stated – “They were experiencing difficulties with their telephone switchboard.” I called his bluff on that. He Conceded.

I started off with some small talk to try to get some info out of him. I figured if I could become 'friendly' with him he would drop his guard somewhat and let some info about his company out.

I don't remember the entire conversation verbatim.

I feel you will see where it was going.

During the 30 min or so worth of communication: There was a bit of me attempting to befriend him and he was continually requesting my personal information and we shared some ‘chit-chat'.

When I asked him about the size of Grants available he said the company would guarantee a minimum of a $5,000.00 grant up to $500,000.00. And the price to me was a one time service fee of $349.97 And if for some reason I could not get the grant my $349.97 would be refunded.

I asked him for information regarding the location of the business I was calling. That was a little sneaky and falls into the ‘chit-chat' category.

He ultimately claimed he was in Lake Champlain, New York .However, several times during our conversation he would make comments about the United States as if he didn't reside in the USA. (Referring to Americans as if they didn't reside in the same country as he did.) I thought that was a bit odd.

During our conversation, I'd slip in some questions such as "Why are you working answering phones instead of getting a Grant yourself if it' is so easy?"

He then said that he gets paid well and that he pays with Cash for everything so he doesn't need a Grant. He also stated that he doesn't have a Credit Card.

NOTE: If I worked for a company, where an investment $349.97 would guarantee me a minimum of a $5,000 grant, I would be doing that as often as possible.

As our conversation continued I acted as though he was a ‘friend' and as if I was interested in his welfare

During this conversation: he also volunteered that he had a Green Card and was from an Indian Reservation in Lake Champlain .

I asked him if he could provide me with some materials I could look over to see if it was something I'd be interested in.

He said he would send me the paperwork after we were through with the application. He also stated that I would receive the 'paperwork' in about 14 days from the date my phone application including payment was completed.

I let him know I wasn't going to proceed further until he provided me with at least the domain name of his employer so I could see for myself if they were legitimate and potentially locate some documents on their site to educate myself further about their process.

After asking him several times for the address he placed me on hold and came back with the following domain name.

He said, the company's domain name is "www(dot)granted educational resources(dot)com" so it would read as www.grantededucationalresources.com

This domain name is not registered to anyone.

I verified that the spelling was correct. He assured me that the domain was grant(ED)educationalresources.com

I told him it should be Grant not Granted. He insisted it was ‘Grant(ed)'.

I went and changed the domain to read 'www(dot)grant educational resources(dot)com' www.granteducationalresources.com

He then confirmed I was on the correct site.

With him still on the phone I did a 'whois' search on the Domain and it is registered through a proxy as to provide anonymity of the 'true' owner.

You can view the sites whois record with this link.

http://whois.domaintools.com/granteducationalresources.com

The only contact provided on the site is for an 866 number. I attempted to contact the number on the site and I received a recording stating that the number could not be reached from my calling area.

Through continuing conversation he attempted to convince me that the company is reputable stating they are a member of the Better Business Bureau and they report to some Government Agency. (I do not recall the name of the agency or if one was named.)

When I told him I didn't feel right providing all my personal information to him.

He said - "Do you want a hint?"

I said – “Sure”.

He then replied. - "Trust me on this one."

"Was that the hint?" I replied.

He then said ‘Yes'..

Furthermore, he stated, if I didn't provide him with all my information including my Bank Account Number, Routing Number, SSN, Date of Birth, etc. he was going to place me in a database that would restrict me from receiving any Government Grants in the future. He said something to the effect of “Once my name/number comes up in the Government Registry and I decline the ‘invitation' to receive the Grant then I will not ever be eligible to receive another Government Grant.

I also asked him what the corporation status was for Easton Consulting Group . I asked if they were incorporated, an S-corp., LLC, etc. to which he replied that they are a ‘FLC' and stated they are registered with the BBB.

I asked him what ‘FLC' stood for and he said “Federal Communications L___________ “

I almost laughed at him when he said that.

Note: I could see that he just ‘winged' the name on the spot. I don't recall what he said the L was. But, that's beside the point. I verified with him several times that the proper spelling was ‘FLC' and not ‘FCL'.

I did an acronym search for ‘FLC' while I was on the phone with him and see for yourself what comes up.

http://www.acronymfinder.com/af-query.asp?Acronym=flc&string=exact

Also, somewhere in the conversation he tried to convince me that he needed all my Account/Background Information, because, since September 11 th 2001 Homeland Security requires them to obtain the account information in order to verify my identity for the Grant.

I even suggested using a Credit Card to cover the cost of $349.97 to which he replied they require my Bank Account information in order to transfer the funds to me.

Brandon was pleasant up until the point when I told him I didn't have enough trust in his company to hand over my personal information and I would pursue obtaining a grant via an official Government site.

He quickly said you cant get grants from the Government site or something close.

Then he proceeded to say that I wasted his time for over 30 minutes.

------------------------

As if I feel guilty.

------------------------

An apology, if this is difficult to decipher. I'm not overly concerned with proper punctuation and such.

Hopefully, someone will look into this organization further.

One more side note: When I would mention Kensington Assistance Agency to Brandon he would go quiet and then change the topic.

Note: This is not an actual transcript of the conversation. It is a summarization of what I recall my communication with Easton Consulting Group to have been on Tuesday, August 15 th 2006

Just wanted to let someone know that this was very helpful to me when I received a yellow "urgent-gram" telling me that I could get a grant. I am a student in need of money, but the offer was too good to be true. Thanks so much. ^_^

I also recieved the grant educational resources call.. it was everything that the person who wrote the detailed explanation about said. The person was from an Indian descent and the company was based in Champlain, New York, Route 9. I looked that up and that was a bogus address too. If anything is too good to be true, it probably is. I also wasted the guy's time for at lesat 40 mins... quite satisfying.

I AM SO MAD AT MYSELF!!!!

I got the yellow card in the mail and called from work today. The first guy I talked to after a women directed me to the application person seemed normal, at first. When it came down to my checking number I paused. I was like "what do you need my account number for?". I cant remember what he said but he used a lot of "I just work here" and seemed a bit frustrated. Going against everything I believe I gave him the checking number. He never asked for my social or routing number (which I wouldnt have known off hand) but became increasingly hostile the more questions I would ask. I asked him what the $349 was for and why they just dont deduct it from $5,000 I was supposedly getting. He told mt it was a fee that THEY charge and that the grant money itself is from the government. He said "You know $5000 is a lot more money than $300" and was very irritated by me. Eventually, he got so upset he just hung up on me.

I called a second time to talk to someone else. This time the guy sounded like he had an African accent or was someone TRYING to have an accent. I ask him what type of business were they running where people hang up on you? He said at one point during his answer "Were you being rude" and continued to say that many people question them and that maybe the guy was offended. I told him that the guy should have remained proffessional regardless of my suspicions and that they should EXPECT skeptical people. I told him I didnt have $349 and that we can pick up where we left off when I get it. Then he told me he needed a date when i'd have the money. I told him I couldnt just toss out a date so eventually I ended the call.

I call a third time and a dude that sounds like the Movie guy that talks during movie previews comes on. They know my name every time I call. This time the woman didnt answer first but this guy. I told him I looked for their address on the internet and the address on the card they sent me was the same as some electric company on the net. He said they might be in the same building. Then he got real pushy and was telling me that the 6th was the day for me to send the fee. I told him I wouldnt have the money by that time in which he told me "Why not, you make such and such amount of money a year" going from the information they recieved earlier. He told me I was being "negative" in being uncertain about a specific date that I would have the money. I told him I evaluate my finances the same way he would then ask him if he was telling the grant would not be available after the 6th and that the card didnt state that. He said yes like he really didnt want to but he was on a roll. So I said welp, im going to have to miss out then. After going back and forth for a short while, like the first dude, he hangs up on me.

I only have four dollars in my account right now and wonder should I change my account number before making a deposit. I dont know exactly they can do with the checking account number alone without my routing and pen number but I want to be safe. Then I wondered why if they had the checking number why wouldnt they just rip me off without my permission. It was like he needed me to say "YES" before he could do anything. Your thoughts please, changing my account number is going to be a hassle, can they do anything with my number?

Bill Responds:

Hi George,

Thanks for checking in with the site. First, please know that this is not legal advice. I don't know where you live, and I only practice law in Massachusetts (I'm licensed in Connecticut, but it's rather far for me to travel). So I recommend you talk to a local attorney who can help you more than I can - and talk to your local Attorney General.

With that in mind, take the safer road: notify your bank & tell them that you do not authorize the withdrawal - or put a fraud alert on your account. If it means closing your account - it's a small price to pay to avoid getting money stolen from you. And you want to get in the habit of checking your credit report too.

Here's what else I want you to do: get the word out! Tell your friends and family, and tell them to tell their friends and family. Tell them to avoid these creeps. Tell them it's a scam. Hopefully, they will not lose money they cannot afford to lose. I know that my getting the word out has helped some folks - but not everyone has a computer, and for those that do, not everyone knows about this site. This is a good way to avoid having others losing what they cannot afford.

And don't be "mad" at yourself. Everyone - including yours truly - has made decisions that we regret. Some of those decisions end up costing us money. Sometimes we end up getting short changed at the supermarket. Other times, it hurts the wallet a little more than that. Don't get mad. Fight back, kick butt, take names and learn from it. And teach others what you learn.

Good luck, George.

-Bill

I just received a card and what do I do now?

Bill responds:

The first bit of advice I can give you is do not give them your personal information and/or bank account information. Please feel free to send the card to me with your name, address and phone number so I can contact you..

Hi,

I just now received a call from those people and they asked me a bunch of stuff...like my DOB and the last four digits of my SS#....finally, when they asked me for my account number, I told them that I cancelled the card and that I don't have it, because I didn't want to risk it. I was already suspicious to begin with, but when they asked me for my account number, I knew it was a scam. However, I'm EXTREMELY worried now since they know my address, DOB, and possibly my SS#...I am so stupid! Should I do something about it? I mean, I didn't give them my account number, but they know everythinge lse about me, what should I do?? Please help me!

Yes I too Receive a card from these people But they have a difference name
Easton Consulting Group
1320 State Route 9
Champlin, NY 12919
For a Grant worth 5000.00 and i call and they ask me for personal information and i give no one my check information over the phone. I inform the man (Roger) that the money would be great, Because i just lost my father and my husband was in a wreck and out of work for 3mths and we are facing forcloser and just lost our car and have not enough money to eat. He acted very Concern but we he ask me for my checking number i told him i would have to call him back. thanks to this page i don't have to lose no more than i have to. People always check the internet to locate number and address to see if its a scheme.

I Just got this card, but i was more stupid because i gave my debit card number and other private personal information. They alerady charged the money, now i don't know what to do, i call to get a refund and they tell me that the can't find me. What should i do??? Please help me....

has anyone had any luck in receiving a grant or does everyone get ripped off

I have received a packet in the mail from them. I received it 10-30-2006 in the mail. If you want the info email me at shawanalibra25@yahoo.com. email your fax # and I will fax you the packet they sent. THEY ARE FULL OF IT. Everything they told me has nothing to do with what they sent me in the mail.

Hi everyone,

I worked for Easton Consulting and no one gets a grant. Your government does not hand out free grants and that is a fact. I know, I inquired.

It's funny though that I tried to get in touch with the FBI and they said that they would do nothing, I emailed Oprah, 20/20, etc... and have not gotten a reply.

I unwittingly worked for them for two weeks (I guess the money prevented me from having my epiphany any sooner...groan).

I hope you realize that NO ONE gets the grant and it is nothing more than a scam.

I am sorry. Just to let you know, the company dupes about 500 people a week out of $349,97, and is this price a coincidence or is it $.03 difference between a felony and a misdemeanour?