Complaint / Review
Government Grant Information Center
Ripoff Offered me a government grant of $5000

I received a call at my work phone number, my home phone number is unlisted so I do not give it out. The person on the other line said they were from the Government Grant Information Center. He had a very thick Indian accent.

He told me the Federal Government wanted to give me a grant for $5000. He asked if I had filed taxes the previous year. I told him yes.

He said that the grant could be used for whatever I wanted, and asked me what I would use it for. I told him I didn't know. He then asked to verify the spelling of my name and address, which I did.

I asked him again where this money was coming from and he said the Federal Government gives grants to people. He said 9,000 others were also being offered the grant.

I asked him where he got the phone number from that he called, I thought it was strange since it was my work number. He said he got it from a Credit Bureau survey.

He asked for my birthday. I asked him why he needed that information, he said to verify my age, only people over 18 could get the grant. I just told him my age, and he was satisfied with that answer.

He then told me to write down the following information, including his name. He gave the name Richard Wilson, I had to laugh considering the accent. The address he gave was 472 S. River Rd. Saint George, Utah 84770.

He said he would send me an information packet in the mail. He also needed to give me a special ID# that I had to keep secret in order to claim my grant money.

Next, he asked me if I had a checking account. I told him yes. He asked at what bank. I asked him why he needed to know that, he said so the money could be direct deposited into my checking account. He also assured me that this did not authorize him to take any money out of the account.

I asked him why can't he just mail me a check. He said due to the large amount of money involved, it could be $5000, $6000, or up to $10,000. He proceded to ask me for my bank's routing number and my account number.

I told him I do not give that information out over the phone. He kept insisting he needed it or I wouldn't get the grant. I finally told him I was not interested and hung up on him.