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Government Grants For Startups.

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Otis

Free Member
Sep 30, 2018
23
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Hello all,

So i run a new up and coming digital marketing company and have recently been awarded a government grant.

No over the past few days a few red flags have caught my suspicions with the situation and I was wondering if someone with more knowledge could give me some advice. I will explain the full situation below.

---

So I originally contacted a company who claim to be government funded. They asked me for various information that would be needed such as; company name, DoB, address, etc.

After 2 weeks I received a call asking for more information about how the money will be spent. Nothing odd about this.

Then after another month or so I had a call letting me know that my grant application had been accepted and another company was going to handle it. This is where flags began to rise. Firstly I was told that the government was funding 70% and I had to fund the other 30%, I understand this can be a method that is used so I didn't think much of it.

The company had me sign some documents and send off some proof of ID, which was all fine and came back as genuine. Then, the company requested that I set up a pre-paid master card account here: theprepaidcard.in | Not a problem, so I filled out my details and they took a few days to come back and explain that my account has been registered. So firstly I was alarmed when I saw the website was built with WordPress. Being a web designer myself, I wouldn't imagine a MasterCard company to use WordPress? But I didn't think much of it and thought all to their own and went on as normal.

Now the company deposited the 70% to the account today and I am expected to deposit my own 30% by Friday. Now apparently I don't actually receive the card or am able to transfer money out until I make my contribution. I wouldn't know if the government actually have a system where an individual would need to deposit their own funds to a prepaid master card without even having the card? I thought this was odd, and don't want to deposit the funds until I know for sure it's legitimate.

What do you all think?
Legit, or not?

Thank you,
Otis.
 
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I'd suggest talking to the department giving the government grant and finding out the procedure from them.
Sounds very different than previous occasions I've dealt with government grants.

If giving part of the money needed all the occasions I've dealt with government money have been get awarded the grant, spend the money then get government percentage paid back to you on production of proof of spend & installation.
So government department knows (it has proof) that the money has been spent on what was agreed.

Have had government grants for CCTV, for diagnostic equipment, for computers and for staff salaries.
 
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Mr D said:
I'd suggest talking to the department giving the government grant and finding out the procedure from them.
Sounds very different than previous occasions I've dealt with government grants.

If giving part of the money needed all the occasions I've dealt with government money have been get awarded the grant, spend the money then get government percentage paid back to you on production of proof of spend & installation.
So government department knows (it has proof) that the money has been spent on what was agreed.

Have had government grants for CCTV, for diagnostic equipment, for computers and for staff salaries.
Click to expand...

Yea, this is how I thought it would have worked.

I have requested that the company send me all the information they have had from the government department themselves so i can confirm with them it is legitimate.
 
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With the amount of data you have given them i would double check all financial and other records for password identity theft and missuse and call mastercard to say you think there has been identity theft
Change all passwords if it's not to late
 
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Chris Ashdown said:
With the amount of data you have given them i would double check all financial and other records for password identity theft and missuse and call mastercard to say you think there has been identity theft
Change all passwords if it's not to late
Click to expand...

Hello, i haven't actually given any passwords to them. They provided me with a password for the 'mastercard' account.
 
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I would advise not to go ahead as its very suspicious. you do not need to setup a prepaid card for a government grant. The company in question is also registered in India
 
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Otis said:
Hello, i haven't actually given any passwords to them. They provided me with a password for the 'mastercard' account.
Click to expand...

Ac
Bainzee said:
I would advise not to go ahead as its very suspicious. you do not need to setup a prepaid card for a government grant. The company in question is also registered in India
Click to expand...
Hello,

Thank you for this.

I contacted Gov.UK and they told me to report it to action fraud.
 
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After a few hours on the phone with action fraud and some time taken to research the company's, I can confirm it was a huge scam.

The situation has been reported.

After looking into the WHOIS records of all the domains that were so-called 'different companies' it turns out they are all one big operation using all the same name servers, etc. GOV.UK confirmed the government will never ask for your money to be put into a separate account.

The domains are all registered on a strange Chinese registrar and have only been active for the past 90 days or so. My contact at the company told me they had been trading for 15 years + and worked with the prepaid card company for 7 months plus, but the domain has only been registered for 30 days.

Also, the initial company that I contacted in step one has gone offline and there is no trace of them anywhere.

I would like to thank you all for the help as this almost left me £5,000+ out of pocket.
 
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Please, can everyone avoid the following phone numbers and websites for your own protection.

quick-finance.cc | 01233 743533
theprepaidcard.in | 0800 3689309

Original Company | 01925 696796
 
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But after checking companies house it seems they have records?

Any thoughts?

beta.companieshouse.gov.uk /company/LP016351
 
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Otis said:
They have made no further contact with me since I asked for proof...
Click to expand...

Good call. There are (broadly) 2 types of fraudster - the simple and the highly sophisticated.

The sophisticated are less than 10% and will almost certainly catch you out

The simple, like this are lazy - the best way to deal as you have done us to keep asking questions and requiring proof. They will always give up and move on to the next victim
 
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There’s more chance of me arriving home tonight and finding a scantily clad Beyonce in my bed than there is of him getting his money back.
 
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