An interesting turn...

An email in response to scam post on August 4th...

From: Sam Shotter
Subject: Those phonecalls

Hi! Natalie,
I came across your blog "I'd like to fly...". I read the part on "Government Grant" and you advising the agent to quit. The company is indeed based in Utah (St. George). However, it helps people get grant by supplying them with information and support that is self sufficient to get the grant. All citizens of the US are eligible to recieve government grants. The company follows a clear policy of refunding the $249 fee, in case the customer does not get a grant. It is sad that a good service was brought to you in an extremely distasteful way by the teleseller. I hope I have put a few of your doubts at rest. Coming back to account info, we so very readily give out cheques to strangers, if it was possible to 'scam' using the info on your cheque leaf, most of us would be bankrupt!
Do mail me, if you have any queries.

Regards,
Sam

My reply...

Hmmm that’s funny. Do you work for them? The guy identified himself as an employee of the federal government. Wouldn’t that alone be a crime? The government doesn’t solicit its grants over the phone. There was no talk of supplying information so that I may apply for a grant. He never spoke of a fee for this grant. Anyway I do have a few queries for you. Maybe you can answer them since he couldn’t? Why does no one answer that phone number? Why are so many scams associated with that phone number when they offer the same thing that he was? Why do FEMA, The Consumer Protection Division of West Virginia, WIXT of Syracuse, NY, SEMA of Missouri and the Better Business Bureau all have warnings associated with this number? Why is it associated with a credit card protection service as well? Why is the name of the company registered with the BBB in Utah different from the name of the company he gave me? Why does this company operate under 17 different names in Florida alone? If what you said is true about not being able to debit an account using the routing number and account number from my check then why can my utility companies do it, over the phone, with the same information he was asking for? I’m including a couple of links that you may find interesting.

http://www.bbbwestflorida.org/commonreport.html?bid=90004144

http://www.google.com/search?q=800-551-7099&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&filter=0

Still haven't received a response. Sam ya out there??? Well let's see if I get any of my questions answered...