A LADY CALLED ME TELING THAT I HAD A $7000 GRANT, GAVE ME FEW REASONS WHY I WAS CHOSEN, A VERIFICATION CODE AND HANDED ME OVER TO THE BOSS ( CATHERINE TOHNSON). SHE THEN VERIFIED AND L8ER CONFRIM ACCORDING TO THEM THAT I SHOULD MAKE A DEPOSIT OF $230 IN MY ACCOUNT.
I SAID I CAN'T THEN SHE SAID THEN IT'LL BE ALL OVER.
PLZ PEOPLE I REALLY NEED AN ADVICE HERE CAUSE I GAVE THEM SOME INFORMATION BOUT MYSELF. I REALLY NEED SOME HELP. PLZ
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
Excerpt from FTC Consumer Alert
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.
Take control of the calls you receive. If you want to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, place your telephone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. To register online, visit www.donotcall.gov. To register by phone, call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you wish to register.
File a complaint with the FTC. If you think you may have been a victim of a government grant scam, file a complaint with the FTC online at www.ftc.gov, or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
I got a call today stating that i will receive 7000 for a federal grant. The man said he was calling from washington dc my called id said hawaii. Lol. Then he went over a long list of why i was chosen to receive this money as long as i didnt use it for gambling or drugs. Im like okay... So whats the catch. He said nothing.. Just call this # 202-407-9813 and u'll get the money. Ask for debbie bennett. I wanted to see where this drama led me so i called and omg debbie answered. No 1-800 # no automated service nothing. So i asked, debbie my confirmation number is abcd and within 1 moment she had my file. She said rhis is a once in a lifetime opportunity and this 7k is ur's. So your back account is in &$@&$ bank. I was floored bc she obviously knew where i banked. Now the catch. I said nope thats wrong just send a check. Now she freaked out and said um i'll send it to western union, u can pick it up at anyone u wish anytime congrats.. But Sofie theres a one time processing fee for 350.00. I said no problem take it out of the 7k ur sending me i have no worries. No she said thats not allowed. I said thanks for ur time and hung up.
Please people be careful of jerks like these. Fraud is everywhere. And the most inportant thing of all as the first responder Jonathan stated grants are free.
Good luck, use better judgement and go with ur gut. If its to good to be true it probably is.
i got a call from 1807 number it was a woman saying i got 7000 federal grant. she give me file number to me she said this is my file number write down and also she gave me a number and person name i have to call. she said call this number and she will prossess your money i said ok.It was very interesting for me i said i going to call and i call the number she gave to me.Debbie answer the phone she asked me the confirmation number i gave it to her and she said stay on the lane let me find you file i said ok. After 2m hold she came back .she said how do you want your money i said send me a check she said we no longer sanding check but you can go to western union and after 10m you will get your money i said ok.She said i have to pay prepossessing fee 300 dollar u have to pay that and after we she got the 300 dollar she will send my 7000grant with the 300 dollar i said why you asking 300 you can take that 300 dollar from the 7000 and send me the resat she said she can not do that i have to pay 300 dollar first i said ok.And today 3/27/12 she called me around 2pm PCT she said you don't want to get your grant i said this is skeam she called me a @@@@@. i told her one day you will be in behind bar good luck to you..........