FTC and Florida shut down 'Grant Bae' scam

The Federal Trade Commission has reported that the Commission and the State of Florida have taken action against Grant Bae and its owner, Traeshonna P. Graham, a COVID-19 scammer preying on minority-owned small businesses seeking pandemic relief. The complaint alleges that the fictitious grant-writing service scammed each business out of thousands of dollars with false promises of easy access to “guaranteed” grant funding and COVID-19 economic benefits that did not materialize. In response to a complaint filed by the FTC and the State of Florida, a federal court has temporarily shut down the company and frozen the defendants’ assets.

According to the complaint, C Lee Enterprises LLC and Graham, who refers to herself as “The Grant Bae,” have marketed grant writing and consulting services to minority-owned small businesses through the Grant Bae brand. The false claims about the company’s services and Graham’s own background have been pitched on Facebook, Instagram, and in the Clubhouse audio app where Graham joined social media influencers. The complaint alleges that a handful of influencers and their close associates were the only people who actually received money from Grant Bae. The complaint also alleges that Graham relied on funds she acquired through the federal Paycheck Protection Program COVID-19 stimulus program to start Grant Bae.