Government Grant Information Agency?

Factual Questions
1

Has anybody heard of such a thing?

I just got a phone call, at work- asked for me by name, saying that I qualified for a government grant of between $8000 and $25,000 that is non taxable and doesn’t need to be repaid. Of course, the offer of free money sets off all sorts of warning flares.

The guy said that the government was trying to better the life of some, at first he said, citizens. I am not a citizen, I am a green card holder, however. When I notified him of that, it turned out to be the government wants to help tax payers. At this point I asked the guy, Brian, if there was a website that I could go to and check out. I heard him say grant.gov, but that doesn’t exist, however there is a grants.gov site.

Here is where it starts looking like a small scale Nigerian scam, Brian tells me that to get the grant there is a one time processing fee of $257. Brian then asks me where I bank, and I don’t have a problem telling him it is at BofA in Dallas - the bank is very good about notifying me if they see strange activity. Then, Brian asks me it the banks routing number is XXXXXXXX. It turns out that he had the right routing number, but I wouldn’t confirm it. I then asked why he needed my bank information. It turns out that the grant is sent from bank to bank - and no doubt the $257 fee is removed that way as well.

At this point I wasn’t going to say anything else. I asked for a call back number and was asked if I have caller ID, which we don’t at work. I was given a 1-866 number that doen’t match anything I could find on the grants.gov site. I was also told that the call was coming from Saint George Utah.

Has anyone else received a phone call like this? It is just another version of the Nigeria scam, isn’t it? Should I call the 1-800 number from the grants.gov site to follow up and register a complaint?

2

<:D>
Why are you wasting your time posting? Would your good friend Brian lie to you?

When Brian called me a few weeks ago, you know, about I was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize because of my board posting here, I sent the check. I can hardly wait for the announcement.
</:D>

3

Start with your local Police Department. They should be able refer to you to the appropriate agency that handles this type of complaint.

4

GQ. Must give serious answer.

While the federal government does have certain grants available for individuals, it is not in the habit of calling people at their workplace, with no prior contact, and asking for banking information so they can shower said individual with money.

Start with your local police and ask them who you can contact to report this.