Government Grant Scam

Victim Location 43701

Type of a scam Government Grant

I got a message from a friend on messenger and she told me to contact this said person to receive grant money. So I did and it said I had to pay to receive money. Immediately red flags went up and I blocked that person.

Victim Location 45690

Total money lost $150

Type of a scam Government Grant

I got a call offering me a government grant for $9000. I was talking to Michelle. She said I would not have to pay anything. Then she transferred me to Evelyn Moore, 510-578-6976 x. 117. Evelyn said I needed to pay $50 to activate the three $3000 checks that she would be sending. She said the grant was sponsored by Google. She guaranteed it was real. She told me to purchase a Google prepaid card. So I went to Lowes on Bridge St in Chillicothe, OH, and bought a Google Playcard for $50. She told me to stay on the phone with her while I was in Lowes. She told me how to purchase the playcard, and get a receipt. I went back to my truck, adn scratched the number off the back for her. She said that’s what she needed to activate the money. I sat in my truck, she had me on hold for 5-7 minutes. She came back on the line and said the back would not release the checks unless I paid $150 dollars. So she had me stay on the line with her while I went back into Lowes. I purchased another Google Playcard for $100 at 7:30 pm last night. I went back out ot my truck, she put me on hold again. When she came back on, she said the bank had already closed, and I would have to wait until the morning for the checks for the bank. This morning she called me and told me to go to CVS to Moneygram because that is how I would get the grant money. I went to CVS on Bridge St, in Chillicothe, OH because they have Moneygram. She had me stay on the phone with her but she said do not go in yet. She came back on the phone and said that in the state of Ohio I would have to pay taxes on the grant money. She told me the taxes would be $475. I told her I didn’t have that kind of money. She said go to your bank and overdraft $200 and I could get the money. I said no. She said "OK well I’ll put it on hold, and if I come up with the money call me back". I tried to argue with her. I said I feel like I’m getting scammed. She said she promised I was not getting scammed, that it’s a government grant. She hung up. I borrowed $150 to give her. She had a foreign accent. She said she was from either Nevada or California. I am on disability and the roof is leaking on my old mobile home, I needed the money so bad. When she asked for money, I thought I better check it out and called BBB. I have reported this to Ross County Sheriff’s dept. I’ve kept everything.

Victim Location 14221

Type of a scam Government Grant

They asked for my bank account info, my debit card info and any monies that may be available. I was told that I was approved for a grant from the government in the amount of $14, 589. All that I needed to do was to follow the details exactly as I was told. I was directed to go to my nearest Walgreens Phamacy and deposit $999.00 on to a government voucher to have the monies released into my bank account. I explained that I did not have that much money in my account and was pressured into calling friends and family, credit cards and then to get a title loan against the value of my car! I told him that there was no way I would be able to do any of that and then the amount I needed to deposit was lowered to $400. Again I told him there was no way I could come up with that amount. I then told him that my cell phone was dying and had to get off the phone. Unfortunately, i had given my banks debit card number before realizing that this was a scam. I will have the debit card repalced with a new card number. Hopefully this will help someone catch them in the act before any info is given out.

Victim Location 31065

Total money lost $62,940

Type of a scam Government Grant

Someone who pretended to be someone I know, text me and said she had she had gotten a grant in the amount of $200,000 and recommended he go for it too. She had a list of money amounts for me to choose from that I wanted to received. I chose $200,000.00. There was a fee of $3,000, which I paid in cash by depositing the money into an account at Bank of American in Macon, GA. Than I was told I had to pay $6,850 for a customer fee, which I also deposited into the same account. Then I was told I needed to pay $34,550 for insurance via cash also deposited into Bank of America. They said I had to $1,620.00 for something else, also deposited. Each deposit was to a different account. Then David said management could help if I had a Walmart credit card. I gave him the information for that card. The card was maxed out and they increased his credit limit on the Walmart credit card and then took $1,000.00. I never got the grant and lost over $50,000 along with my mother, who lost over $12,000.00

Victim Location 63112

Type of a scam Government Grant

Suppose to be a christmas and new year bonus, and it suppose to be delivered by UPS.

Victim Location 63106

Total money lost $350

Type of a scam Government Grant

They scammed me for money on Facebook by a

Victim Location 30519

Type of a scam Government Grant

Got a call from 115115 on my phone a guy with a accent told me i qualify for a govt grant that i would not have to pay back in the order of 15000. He gave me a grant id code and told me to call hos supervisor who would finish my application and send me the money. I called the number and they were too busy to answer my call. They said they would call me back. They never did. I thought it was a scam! Too good to be true.

Victim Location 45651

Type of a scam Government Grant

Government called me to say I am verified for an $8000 grant money. First I have to go to WM to get money cards for $299 fees to get this grant and I will be refunded at the end. They want me to call this number and give them my id number and verify who I am and then get the card for $299. Then I am to call for further instructions of where to calls to pass along the information on the cards when they have been scratched off. I told them I did not know if I was going to play along with paying the money in advance of getting the loan money. I have until 7 pm tonight to make my decision. I understand it is a scam and I am not going to do any on it.

Victim Location 43232

Type of a scam Government Grant

Searching for a loan online. I got a call from a man, with a foreign accent, but an American name. Why do these foreign guys have American names? He said I was approved for a grant through the government grant up to $5000, selected out of 17,000 people based on demographic information. He asked if I was single or married. He told me the grant money was for my personal use. He said I would have to purchase a $200 registration card to prevent the IRS from coming after me at the end of the year. He also said it was refundable, once I purchased the registration, I would get it back with the grant, so I would receive $10,200.00. He asked me if I wanted the money in my bank account, He asked if I had a CVS or Money gram close by. He asked me if I preferred Western Union or Money Gram. He asked how far Walmart is form me. He said it would be better to go to Walmart, you could get the registration card there. He said he wasn’t sure if Kroger had the registration cards. I told him I couldn’t afford to give away money for a scam. He transferred me to his boss. Then I could other people talking in the background. I was consistently told not to share my tracking number, because they didn’t want anyone else to receive my grant money. When I called back the message said Google subscriber. Why would the government be a Google subscriber? I have been scammed before, so I called BBB.

Victim Location 30025

Type of a scam Government Grant

I was contacted by a family member and was given a website to get a government grant.i gave this person my drivers license and all my personal info.he asking for 550$ for $80,000

Victim Location 76203

Type of a scam Government Grant

I kept receiving phone calls from this number which I blocked. Afterwards I received a call from the same number but with the last 3 numbers changed. The man said he was with US Financial Aid and I won a grant and what really upset me is he knew a lot of my personal info such as address and phone number. He kept trying to get me to verify it and I wouldn’t. I asked him multiple times for a legit website address so I can check up on his company but he wouldn’t give it to me. Then he caught AN ATTITUDE with me yelling at me and telling me I’m asking too many questions! I tried calling the number back and it wasn’t a real/functioning number. Do NOT fall for this scam. I wish I could track their exact location and have them arrested but I don’t have much information on them. They may be trying to steal my identity. I am a student so I know how financial aid works and the process. He wouldn’t give me ANY extra information to support who he was or his company. It’s probably best to block these people.

Victim Location 99217

Type of a scam Government Grant

Consumer called: I received a Facebook Messenger message from my cousin that I got a government grant and I could get some money. The name that they are using is Cloe Ellise and that’s who I needed to contact for my grant. I could tell them how much I wanted and then I just had to pay a little bit on money and then I could have my grant. If I paid 400 I get 7000 if I paid 8000 I get a million…

They are using this Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/kloe.ellese

Victim Location 97267

Type of a scam Government Grant

Text message scam referencing government grant. Be careful!

Victim Location 31901

Type of a scam Government Grant

Received a phone call saying that I had been chosen to receive a government grant in the amount of 9,000. To get this grant they wanted me to load money on to a prepaid debit card from Walmart.  I hung up the phone when they told me that. 646-774-4057

Victim Location 36832

Type of a scam Government Grant

I was called by a man name joe who said i was excepted for a government grant and all i had to to was pay the taxes on it the amount was 800 and ill recieve over 14000 but never got it before paying the 800 i asked what company this was he said this is from health and human services located in tacoma washington, however i did decided to have our whole conversation recorded on my fone

Victim Location 83847

Total money lost $200

Type of a scam Government Grant

These people call say there with the gov grant department and that the gov give grants to citizens that are selected each year.. they say it’s a $200 transfer fee and then later $500 activation fee.. If you don’t do this they will use different number stating u are being investigated and sued by the IRS if they don’t hear back from you. They only asked name and address they give u the option to use ur bank acct cards or pre paid cards in cluding google play cards … they state that they will stay in the ph w u and walk you thru the process and that there a lawyer to draw papers up to ensure you don’t owe money on they grants etc… it’s very thought out we all have to be very careful…. they are smart you got to be quicker and smarter..

Victim Location 98823

Type of a scam Government Grant

Scammer wanted me to go to Walmart to scammer wanted me to go to Walmart to 2 / scammer wanted me to go to Walmart to 2 / 2 / give ID for a money a gram that they were going to send me and pay $250 for a $9,000 Grant when I when I get to the Walmart I am supposed to call a phone number and then he would get my personal identification number and I would pay $250 for this grant for Federal Bank registration card then I received $9,200

Victim Location 72473

Type of a scam Government Grant

I received a message on messenger from a Facebook friend telling me bout a Facebook and government grant program where my name was chosen to win $150,000 in cash. Wanting me to send $550 by western union. I was convinced by my friend until my husband showed me a post of Facebook from same friend posting her Facebook account had been hacked.

Victim Location 30122

Type of a scam Government Grant

I received several calls requesting that I take a survey about smoke detectors. When I finally completed the survey, I gave a false name. When I gor the call for that name, I knew it was related to the previous call a few days earlier. I was informed that I was chosen to receive a $9000 grant from the U.S. Federal Government that did not have to be paid back. After verifying my identity (which was all false information) I was given a grant activation number – nd742 and phone number to call – 347-766-0890. I did not call, but they called back a while later.

Victim Location 43123

Type of a scam Government Grant

Got a couple of calls from foreigners telling me I got money coming to me from the government.