National Processing Center NPC told me my grant money would be in hand by July of 08 at the latest! 2009 now...no Grant Money! Norfolk Virginia

In January of 2008 I applied online to see if I would be eligible for some housing grants. I received an email back explaining that I was eligible. Within the following week, I received a phone call from a Jack Todd who claimed he was from The National Process Center in Norfolk Virginia. He explained that they are a middleman company that helps cut out the difficulty and confusion of filling out grant applications.

He said he had received my online request for grant consideration. The contact phone number he gave me to call him at was 1-866-446-1955 ex124. He told me that The National Process Center would send me a packet to fill out and return it to them. From there they would fill out the proper grant applications and send them off to Washington DC. Then when my grant money would come back in, they would immediately sent it to me. I was told this would all happen if I paid a one-time fee of $395.00, and I would have money in-hand from the grants by the end of July 08. I went ahead and paid this one time fee to him over the phone from my checking account.

The money cleared through my bank on the 22nd of January 2008. Within a month I did receive the following enclosed package in the mail, which I did fill out and return certified. Then I waited until July to receive my grant money. July came and went and I received nothing. So I called the toll free number to call if I had any questions.

I talked to a man who told me there had been a glitch in their systems and the grant money that was suppose to go out in the mail hadn't been sent yet. He gave me a confirmation number for my file witch and told me that I would receive it in the mail around September 1st. September came and again I received nothing. By this point I was getting a bit worried that I had been a victim of fraud. I called the toll free number again and again and only got a recording.

I even tried to call Jack Todd's number and extension and the number wasn't working anymore. I gave it one more shot and called the toll free number again and left a voicemail. I received a call back about two weeks later from a Jeff Stone (who's voice sounded very similar to Jack Todd's). I have the voicemail still on my cell phone. Jeff Stone told me he needed my email and he would try to send me a status report of my grants. I returned the call, left a voicemail with my email and have not received anything via email, phone or snail mail ever since.

It has almost been a year now since this has happened and I don't know where to turn or what to do. I can't get a hold of anyone anymore. I am not even sure if the National Process Center even exists in Norfolk Virginia. I hope in some way you guys can help me at least find out if they were legit or not. And if it would even be possible to get my money back. I do feel at this point that I was a victim of fraud and also in October I had $399.00 stolen from my checking account.

The bank said it was an electronic check through the Internet. I filled a police report and did eventually get my money back. I have since closed that account and went with another bank but I don't know if this was related or not but would like to get my money back from the NPC if thats still a possibility. These guys need to be stopped and it sounds like I'm not the only one who has been taken advantage!

Tiffany ****
Auburn, California
U.S.A.