received a call from this 301.637.7862 number...no VM...called back and it did not go through...called back with an edited number (adding the 1) and got someone with a foreign accent (Indian maybe, perhaps other, not sure exactly)...he said he was with the Federal Grant Dept....i said what is the FGD and who the heck is he, and he cursed me (f bomb), then hung up....i believe they have called before, but do not recall if it was this exact number....annoying and disturbing
Got a call from this number. I didn't recognize it so I let it go to voicemail. the message was just a bunch of background crowd noise for about 2 minutes. No idea if someone butt-dialed me by mistake or what. Blocked the number since I have no idea who it is and I don't know anyone in Maryland.
i answered and a guy with a heavy accent asked if I was Christine but he mispronounced my name. I asked him what the call was regarding he said he was with the federal government and I was chosen to receive a $7000 federal grant that I'd never have to pay back because I didn't have any criminal charges and something else I couldn't understand. He told me could either have the money deposited into my accoun, receive it on a visa or master card, or I can receive it in cash. I said cash. He gave me a code and told me to call a number he gave me to discuss the rest of the details to his financial manager. I called the number and it told me the person I was trying to reach was unavailable, and to leave a message.
It is a scam.
The government does not offer grants to individuals for personal use.
It is a scam ran by off shore con artists to trick you into sending unrecoverable money to them.
They will say you need to get prepaid money cards, like Green Dot and load them with you own money. Once you give the details from the card to the scammer, they clean out the card. You loose your money, you get nothing.
The only legitimate avenue for government grants is through www.grants.gov which is the official US government web site for grants.
From their FAQ concerning fraud:
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/general-support/grant-fraud.html
Please note the following:
No government grant-making agency will make phone calls; send email or letters to solicit money or personal banking information from a potential grant recipient.
There are no processing fees for federal grants.
Federal grants are not issued for personal use, but are intended for institutions and non-profits to carry out projects with a public purpose.
Know who you're dealing with on the web. Scam artists will often post a website with a name similar to a legitimate site.
If you have provided personal banking information to anyone claiming to be associated with a Federal grant agency, call your bank immediately to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
If you receive a call, mail, email, FAX, or any other form of communication soliciting you for a grant, STOP.
It is a scam.
Report it to the FTC:
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0113-government-grant-scams
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 https://ftccomplaintassistant.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.
called and said I was selected to receive $7k in federal grant money. I said remove me from the list. the guy then started saying nuh nuh nuh repeatedly. I called the number back and had a field day giving them hell. They start cursing at you when they don't hear what they want and they know they can't scam you.