Beware: New phone scam (free grant money)

[Miztiki]

Please be warned of the following apparently new scam:

They call and say you've been randomly selected to receive a "general purpose grant" of $7500 from the US Treasury. The name they give for themselves is American Financial on Ynez Rd in Temecula, CA.

They say you can have the money and the administration fee is only $279.95.

[Miztiki]

They knew my name, address, and phone number.

I thought something was fishy right away and told them as much. I asked for a website and they said they had to take it down due to hackers. I asked what it was before they took it down and he didn't know.

He pushed me for the name of my bank and I told him I wouldn't give him any personal information until I had checked out their legitimacy with the Better Business Bureau or someone along those lines.

He said go ahead, they are legit, and that he will call me back tomorrow.

I couldn't find any info about them on the web or BBB so I called the FTC and they said it sounds like a new scam and to spread the word.

So beware! They didn't get my info and I hope they don't get yours either. There is no such thing as free money.

p.s. The number they gave me is "invalid". Gee, I wonder if he'll call back tomorrow?

[Dog Gone]

Anyone stupid enough to fall for this is too stupid to own money anyway.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Well, heck - if you keep spreading the word, how am I supposed to make any money??

I had a scam call today - somehow, they had my cell number and my name - said that I was behind in payments on my credit card. Wanted to take a payment over the phone - and then hung up when I explained that I didn't have a credit card.

[Graybeard58]

They knew my name, address, and phone number.

Maybe they looked in the phone book?

[TomGuy]

I turned them down.

My check from Nigeria should be in just any day now.

[petercooper]

Ever hear of answering machines? Screen Miztiki, screen.

[cripplecreek]

I like to believe FReepers don't need to be warned about things like this.

The last one that called me was a Pakistani (I assume) claiming to be from the DOJ "Rewards division". They were going to give me $4000 for being a good citizen. He needed my banking info etc and I told him I didn't trust him so he put another guy on the phone. The second guy had a British accent and said that he was with the FBI. I asked his badge number and he said "002".

I laughed a little bit and ended the call.

[Bigh4u2]

"Anyone stupid enough to fall for this is too stupid to own money anyway."

You own money??

Cool!!!

I'm just 'borrowing' mine from the government temporarily.
That is until they can figure out how to get enough taxes out of me to leave me broke!


:0)

[SALChamps03]

Anyone stupid enough to fall for this is too stupid to own money anyway.>

No truer words have ever been spoken.

[jackibutterfly]

"There is no such thing as free money."

Yeah, especially when you have to pay for it! Hahahahaha!

[boomop1]

If the guy talked like Johnny 5 I'd be a scam for sure.

[Miztiki]

Hey TomGuy,

When you get your money from Nigeria and I get my free grant money then we can go out and celebrate! Ha!

[Enchante]

Anyone who falls for this one should just send all of their money to ME because I promise I'll take better care of it than they ever could...... /s

[kingu]

And the annual scam is operating once again for the Police Officer's Association. Got a call yesterday, wanting to have our business take up a membership with them - even included decals! I said I was busy with customers at the moment, and I'd have to give him a call back. Oddly enough, the call back number didn't work.

But the trap on my line sure did. Passed it on to the local police department. Wouldn't have had any number were it not for their calling an ancient foreign exchange line we had.

[Miztiki]

That's interesting and I'm grateful for your post.

We donated to our local police last year. This year, in the last two months or so, we've gotten 1-2 solicitations from one police org or another for money every week.

We haven't had money to give to charities these last couple months, so I've just said sorry and hung up.

I'll be extra certain that when we do, it's legit like it was last year and not a scam. Thanks.

[kingu]

We donated to our local police last year. This year, in the last two months or so, we've gotten 1-2 solicitations from one police org or another for money every week.

No police department, association or organization solicits via the phone. There's just been too many scams over the years, and every association has decided to forgo one of their more effective fund raising efforts in an effort to protect citizens. This has been the case for firemen as well - firemen banned it after 9/11, police and sheriff associations back in 1996.

So odds are that every call you get is from a scam artist, since no police organization will call you. If you get these calls, immediately call your local police department.

[abovethefray]

Tell them to take the 279.95 out of your 7500.00
Just send a check for 7220.05 to my house.

[jerry639]

I received one of those calls last week. Said he could get me a Small Business loan for up to $1 million that I would not have to pay back. The charge would be $398 and that they did not take credit cards. Wanted my bank account number. Told him I didn't give that information out to anyone. When he persisted I just hung up on him.