Got a call from (206)-596-0798 stating that I was randomly drawn for a $9000 grant. So I played along and at the very end of the "process" they said that I must deposit $250 for the release of my money order tracking number and once I told the guy I didn't have that money he abruptly ended the call.
I have received multiple calls from this number today, with the same "$9k grant" story others have mentioned. I decided to play along for a bit, to see what information I could glean. The person I talked to gave his name as Matthew, and he was a slippery about providing information as he was pushy and insistent when it came to collecting it. Unfortunately for ol' Matt, I can be a stubborn and slippery [***] myself. Anyway, at one point, Matthew asked me if I would prefer to receive my "grant" via direct deposit or in cash via Western Union or MoneyGram. I am a veteran, and currently receiving a monthly stipend through the VA, so I know how the government prefers to send money to its citizens (rarely, and via direct deposit when they do). I called him out, and asked if there was any way I could verify the accuracy of his claims, at which point he circled back around to the beginning of his script, repeating the claim about the alleged "grant." This happened each of the three times I challenged the veracity of the claim, and asked him how I could verify that this was a legitimate call. The third time, I dropped the F-word (fraudulent), at which point he promptly ended the call without another word. This has "scam" written all over it, in neon letters to boot.