No, President Obama is not sending out $12,000 checks

I know I'm not the only one who has been recently bombarded by emails and ads promising free money from the government to pay off personal debt. You know what I'm talking about- flash graphics screaming at you from Facebook sidebars and Google Ads with headlines like these:

"How I Got $12,000 in 7 Days, with a Dead Simple Method"


"Get your piece of the pie- $12,000 in government funds in less than a week!"

Like anyone else, I was intrigued. Sure I knew it was a scam, but I still like to investigate things like this. Interestingly enough, every link/ad took me to the same site: Jeffrey's Grant Blog.

Now, Jeff has a great story. He's an All-American guy- father, husband, firefighter. Down on his luck and about to lose his house, he called a friend for advice. His friend told him to look into government grants, and bam! Couple weeks later, his check arrived. Now he's paid his debt, fixed his car, and takes his pretty wife out to steakhouses in New York. All he had to do was pay $1.99 in shipping for the grant kit to get started.

Or so the story goes...

I went ahead and clicked through to the next stage of Jeffrey's site. Here I was given ten minutes to fill out a form with my birth date, annual salary, etc. I didn't do it. But here's where I figured out the scam.

If you fill out the information, and proceed to pay the $1.99 shipping fee, you will receive a CD with information and "tips" as to how to apply for a grant. Whether or not you actually receive a CD I couldn't tell you. But once you submit your credit card info, you will be signed up for a seven day "free trial" of the "Grant Information Access Club." If you don't cancel your membership within seven days you will be automatically charged about $59 per month (to the card you supplied). The fine print also states that cancellation takes at least two business days, so you really have about four days to figure out what you've done and try to get out of it.

"The resource center is billed at $58.61 monthly. This can be cancelled at anytime simply by calling the customer service number provided in the confirmation email and stating your desire to cancel said bonus material. However, in order to not be charged any future reoccurring cost, please give ample time (2 business days) to be cancelled out of any reoccurring billing system before the next scheduled charge to your account (this does not apply during any trial period). Not cancelling trial programs constitutes authorization, by you, the buyer, for any charges (as outlined) for the associated bonus service until your request to cancel has been received by our customer service staff. By not cancelling the bonus program during the trial period or prior to two days before a scheduled billing cycle, you agree that any reoccurring charges billed to you will be non-refundable." -Terms and Conditions, Grant Access Club

Now, don't get me wrong. The government DOES give out grants, but they are not awarded based on individual financial need. They are generally awarded to non-profit organizations, conservation societies, and things of that nature.

From Wikipedia: "A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. Grants are not federal assistance or loans to individuals, benefits or entitlements."

Grants.gov, the official US government grant website, does provide accurate information on the funds available to the public. You can search a database full of opportunities and even apply online. Just please, please, don't fall for the internet scams. You know the saying- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The "25 Things" Thing

If you have email you've most likely received this latest internet chain letter from somebody recently. If you're on Facebook, you can't escape it. Now, even The New York Times is writing about it.

"Here’s how it works: friends send you an e-mail message (or, on Facebook, “tag” you in a note posted to their profile) with 25 heartfelt observations about themselves — like “I named my son after a man I’ve never met” or “I once paid good money to see Whitesnake in concert” — along with instructions for you to follow suit. You are then expected to gin up your own clever list and foist it upon 25 people, including the friend who asked for it in the first place." -The New York Times

So, here is mine, (because yes, I did it, after being tagged in at least 20 other people's lists) along with a few favorites from friends and family.

Feel free to share some of your "25 Things" in the comment section below.

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Erin's 25 Things

1. I don't sweat. Something having to do with my glands...I don't know.

2. I was on a reality show recently, but it hasn't aired yet.

3. I won't admit how many reality TV shows my tivo has sucked me into, but it's a lot.

4. I'm a terrible singer, but I still sing (alone).

5. I'm addicted to pillows. I bring a certain pillow with me everywhere I go. I can't sleep without it. My boyfriend thinks this is a psychological issue. He's probably right.

6. I'm also a bit of an insomniac.

7. I dream of breaking a huge story- Watergate style. One day this will happen.

8. I can get A's on tests without ever attending class or reading the material, as long as it's multiple choice.

9. My favorite movietime snack: popcorn dipped in that fake nacho cheese whiz they sell in theaters. mmmm....

10. I don't tan. I burn, I peel, I stay white.

11. I cried during the series finale of Sex and the City.

12. I've been homeless.

13. As much as I try to like them, I really hate dogs. Even the cute ones.

14. I'm a champion Irish Dancer.

15. I used to be a pretty awesome violinist.

16. I have 4 siblings, 4 stepsiblings, and one half sibling.

17. My favorite word is "caked."

18. I often dance around like an idiot in my room...and I sometimes pretend I'm a Britney-esque popstar.

19. I worry constantly.

20. I want to honeymoon in Fiji.

21. Getting through college was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

22. I don't really have a "home."

23. I have major anxiety about meeting new people, but I think I keep that pretty well covered up.

24. I once had scarlet fever.

25. Sometimes I think I'd be fine with cutting off all communication, moving to a remote island and living off the land.

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A few faves...from different people.


"1. I sometimes wish I were gay so that I could write with more authority (i.e. as someone who has personally experienced that particular type of discrimination) about how morally wrong it is to ban gay marriage."

"3) I have a horrible phobia of fish. If I touch one or if it touches me, my heart will stop and I will die. Yet, I have cooked fish for my family."

"14) I lived with a criminal in London in the 70's who was 4 inches shorter than me."

"24) My father's ashes are in my bedroom closet, but I bring him out on special occassions. I still don't know what to do with him."

"9. My whole life I've looked forward to getting married and having a wedding. But with said economy, me not yet having a post-college career, and our financial situation, all signs point to my fiancé and I not having a traditional wedding. The pragmatist in me understands it's for the best; weddings are a huge waste of money and resources for what amounts to a 6 hour party. But the little girl deep down who grew up watching Sleeping Beauty is a little more maudlin about the situation."

"22. lol, I've done it in the Universal parking lot. In the back of my car. Don't judge me. "

"13) I once ate half a bottle of lotion in my sleep…and was sick for two days."

"9. My mom lovingly calls me a "cheap broad". But I like to refer to myself as "financially creative"!"

"2. I spent thirty days in a sleep study in Boston in the summer of 2001, during which time it was impossible to masturbate."

"12. When i was born, the doctors thought i was mentally challenged for the first month of life because i stuck my tongue out so much =p (true story)"

"12.) when i was little i used to hide in the curtains and eat salt from the salt shaker. "

"1. I'm Batman
2. The above statement is only true with the help of hallucinogens and extreme sleep deprivation...I've been Batman free for over three years
3. But seriously...I'm Batman
4. I'm clean and sober today"