TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Robin Buggs was approved for a $10,000 grant through the Small Business Administration. She really needs the money to fully open her skincare business that was hurt by the pandemic.
But four months later, she hasn’t seen a dime.
“Maybe they are messing up the account number,” Buggs said.
Buggs said the money was supposed to be sent to her bank three different times, but it never made it to her.
Buggs owns Ancient Herbal Care, based in Holiday. She’s a vendor at the St. Petersburg Pier and she used to hold workshops at her business location in Pasco County so groups could make their own skincare. That stopped during the pandemic.
She could be right about that one.
My Better Call Behnken investigation found the SBA – repeatedly – funded loans for crooks, and innocent people received bills in their names.
In those cases, criminals pretended to own fake businesses, like farms. That makes Robin even more frustrated that a real business like hers can’t get help.
Hours after a call from Better Call Behnken, the SBA called Robin to say they are sending the money again and think they have the right account number.
We’ll stay on this story make sure she receives every penny.
