I was contacted by Winona Akins about the potential for receiving a grant to purchase a home as I have never owned a home. I authorized them to charge my credit card $995.00 to allow them to conduct the search and submit the grant for me. I received several papers about grants that are available that also charge a processing fee of an average of $395.00.

The paperwork sent to me explains that the company does not write the grants for me, but they can process the applications for an additional fee of $265.00 per page or they will charge me $1000 to attend grant writing classes.

The listing of the grants was sent on 11/24/08, and one of the eight grant descriptions they sent has an expiration date of 11/28/08 and the remaining seven state that the responder needs to contact the grant offices for the expiration dates. One of the grants requires that credit approval must be dated prior to 10/1/08, but as I previously stated the grants were sent 11/24/08. The grants also do not state whom is presenting the the grants. One company ceases to exist on 11/28/08.

The application forms for the grant research required my date of birth and social security number.

In requesting my niece's help with writing my grants, she looked at the paperwork and explained to me that the business appeared to be fraudulent, and I needed to contact my local police department, the three credit bureaus, and my credit card company.

She also stated that I should file complaints with the state attorney general's office and the better busineess bureau because companies do not charge for grant research. Grants are free, people do not charge for processing the grant applications.

I have contacted the company and was unable to get my money back because they have claimed they have fufilled the obligations, and that I qualified for some grants.

I am an elderly male and I thought that this was an opportunity to own a home, I was unaware that there are people seeking to take advantage of people my age.