This was the call back number I was told to call. The first call told me I had just been given a $7,000 grant from the govt. Which I did not have to pay back. Gave me a good reason and a confirmation number to get my money in cash. I called the number above and the lady said she was Michelle Novar and that she worked for the government in the grants dept.
They asked me for my home address.
Then she explained to me I had to walk down to the nearest Western Union and that I needed to have $350 cash to deposit for holding and that I should call her back as soon as I was in the parking lot of the Western Union. She would then stay on the phone with me while I went thru the process. She told me to tell her when I had the money in hand and then went on to explaine that I would be assessed taxes in the amount of $4,000!!! I will post the original number that called me next.
Here is the original number that called me: 817-481-2353. Please search that number on this site for a bunch more information on this scam, including a link to snopes which gives a better understanding of this scam.
The original number that called me came from Butler, KY (859) 472 2043. I tried to look up both numbers before the scam artist hung up but was unable to find (206) 317 1343 in the reverse number look-up. There was no answer when I called the number (thankfully). Then I found this scam alert site. Thank you for the heads up
Government Grant Scams
Although government grant scams have been around almost as long as the government itself, the majority of the sites being advertised today didn't exist before the November 2008 election.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WEBSITE
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt134.shtm
‘Free Government Grants’: Don’t Take Them For Grant-ed
“Because you pay your income taxes on time, you have been awarded a free $12,500 government grant! To get your grant, simply give us your checking account information, and we will direct-deposit the grant into your bank account!”
Sometimes, it’s an ad that claims you will qualify to receive a “free grant” to pay for education costs, home repairs, home business expenses, or unpaid bills. Other times, it’s a phone call supposedly from a “government” agency or some other organization with an official sounding name. In either case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back.
Don’t give out your bank account information to anyone you don’t know. Scammers pressure people to divulge their bank account information so that they can steal the money in the account. Always keep your bank account information confidential. Don’t share it unless you are familiar with the company and know why the information is necessary.
Don’t pay any money for a “free” government grant. If you have to pay money to claim a “free” government grant, it isn’t really free. A real government agency won’t ask you to pay a processing fee for a grant that you have already been awarded — or to pay for a list of grant-making institutions. The names of agencies and foundations that award grants are available for free at any public library or on the Internet. The only official access point for all federal grant-making agencies is www.grants.gov.
Look-alikes aren’t the real thing. Just because the caller says he’s from the “Federal Grants Administration” doesn’t mean that he is. There is no such government agency. Take a moment to check the blue pages in your telephone directory to bear out your hunch — or not.
Phone numbers can deceive. Some con artists use Internet technology to disguise their area code in caller ID systems. Although it may look like they’re calling from Washington, DC, they could be calling from anywhere in the world.