THIS [***] IS RIDICULOUS HOW CAN PEOPLE SERIOUSLY DO THIS [***]...... THE INTERNET IS [***] RIDICULOUS SOMETIMES THAT YOU CAN GET ANYONE'S INFORMATION. THAT PUTS MY FAMILY IN JEOPARDY WHEN I HAVE CHILDREN AT HOME AND RANDOM PEOPLE KNOW MY ADDRESS IN OTHER COUNTRIES..... AND THE POLICE WONT OR CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT
HEAVY ACCENT.......... NAMED CHRISTEN COOPER... (ORIGINAL) VERIFICATION NUMBER AKM5559.
Received two calls, both offering a $7,00 grant, both with foriegn accents and American names. The first one hung up when I answered all his questions with "OK". The second wanted a bank account number or credit card number which I refused. Then he gave me this number to call for my grant. TOTAL SCAM!!!
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.
I supposedly was selected to receive a US government grant today. The call I got was close to 6 in the evening (1st flag, after banking hours) & the incoming number was only 6 digits (97-0002) instead of 10 digits on my caller ID(2nd flag). The young lady's accent was so heavy, I could barely make out what she was saying, She asked me to confirm my name, zip code , age & telephone number & asked me what would I do with the $7,000 grant money.Then she congratulated me & gave me a "grant confirmation" code. She told me to call 202-436-9674 so I could speak with a manager for further instructions as to how I would receive my money. The manager's 'name' was Emmy Wilson & she wanted me to go to Western Union & send a $250 processing fee before I could even receive the grant. I was born at night, not last night..... it's deplorable how these people are preying on working class/low income citizens. I was recently job hunting & researching continued education online, so as far as I can tell, they are using internet browsing info to select their targets. It's the worst kind of exploitation!!
I am soo glad you commented because I just got the exact same call and wondered why the number was only 3 digits lol Total scam. Glad I didn't give any info. The number they told me to call back was exactly the same as yours.. Thank you so much for taking the time to write that so I had something to search for.
Same caller, same message, but more money for me! $ 70,000. He hanged up when I told him he had a foreign accent and an American name ( Sam Wilson, by the way)