You are approached directly through your business, as scammers might call you or even meet you at a function. They recommend themselves as grant writing specialists and - with fancy business cards or websites - get your attention.

They tell you they could help you to qualify for a $75,000 grant, as they know all the strings they’d have to pull. They will charge you 5% of the grant as application fee, which you have to pay before they start the process. Victims fall for this as they think 5% from the whole amount is totally worth it.

How to avoid: if you ever get approached by these scammers, just tell them you are willing to pay them 10%, but only after you get the grant.