Independence Empowerment Center

Do you receive phone calls requesting upfront personal information or money?  Do these phone calls come at weird times during the day and night?  Remember to always ask immediately for the organization’s phone number and address, and never give personal information over the phone.  If you are concerned, you can do several things.  Do not give bank account or financial information over the phone.  If they require personal information, check with a trusted source, before returning the call.  Here are some important tips to remember:

• Independence Empowerment Center has computers available for your use as a research tool.
• There is never a fee to apply for a federal grant.
• To check for a federal grant’s genuineness, dial 1-800-518-4726, or email support@grants.gov
• If you consider yourself a victim of a scam contact the Federal Trade Commission website, www.ftc.gov, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click “File a Complaint.”
• If you are looking for government assistance, go to www.benefitscheckup.org to see what where you qualify.

If you want calls to lessen and sometimes stop completely, go to www.donotcallregistry.gov and input your phone number.

Source:  Kirchheimer, S. Scam Alert:  Uncle Sham Wants You.  “AARP Bulletin” 2006, Dec.  Retrieved on 2007, February 12 website:  http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/consumer/scam_alert_uncle-sham.html

from Winter 2007 Newsletter, Volume 2 Issue 1