A Florida company called Grant Bae promised minority-owned businesses that it could get them grants of between $25,000 and $250,000. The higher the fee a business paid for the grant-writing service, the higher the grant it would receive; some businesses paid over $6,000.

The owner, Traeshonna P. Graham, claimed to have over ten years’ experience as an entrepreneur and grant writer. On her website she said, “Then one day I had an aha moment! I wondered how many small Minority businesses don’t think to seek grants to fund their business…I would be the go-to base and leverage for minority businesses to generate funding.” She claimed to have secured $75 million in grants in 2021.

She promoted her services on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Clubhouse; and on various forums designed to reach minority business owners. They included empowerment meetings held following the death of George Floyd and media outlets like BlackNews.com.

I wasn’t familiar with the term “bae,” so I looked it up and found it can be an affectionate term used to address a loved one or it can mean “very cool; great.” Grant Bae’s customers wouldn’t describe their experience in such glowing terms.

The FTC and State of Florida sued Grant Bae in June alleging it scammed businesses out of thousands of dollars. The complaint said that Graham deceived customers about nearly every aspect of her business, alleging she:

• Falsely promised significant returns and claimed all minority businesses would receive at least four grants in the first year.

• Misled customers about the status of their grants by sending messages saying grants were pending or had been awarded.

• Falsely claimed she had access to $268 million in grant funding through non-profit foundations and government agencies.

• Lied about her prior success in obtaining grants for clients.

• Failed to provide refunds even though Grant Bae offered a “money-back guarantee.”

The BBB in Jacksonville, FL, has received over fifty complaints about Grant Bae from customers all over the country. An Olive Branch, MS, customer said she paid Grant Bae $2,400 and was told her company had been approved for a grant, but she never received the money and didn’t receive a refund after being told it would be issued in 5-7 days. Another consumer complained that she closed her business temporarily for renovations and gave away all of her furniture after being told she had been awarded four grants.

The FTC complaint says Traeshonna Graham is also known as Shonna Graham, Traeshonna Lee Williams, and Shonna Lee Williams; and does not have years of experience in grant writing. In fact, her last known employment in late 2018 was at a Krystal restaurant in Florida and she’s currently on a three-year term of probation for stealing cash deposits from it.

Graham falsely promised to help customers receive COVID-related grants. Ironically, the FTC alleges that she funded Grant Bae with a loan the company received through the COVID Paycheck Protection Program a month after its founding. She was later approved for another loan as an independent contractor.

The FTC and BBB advise businesses that if someone guarantees you’ll receive a grant or loan, it’s a scam, especially if you have to pay an upfront fee to get it.

Randy Hutchinson is president & CEO Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South. This column is in partnership with Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee & Southern Kentucky.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Better Business Bureau: Grant writer preyed on minority-owned businesses