My name is Luis. I received a call on December 14 around 7:30 P.M. From a woman with Asian accent. She informed that the U.S. Goverment has awarded me with a grant of $12,500 along with $500 in grocery coupons. Also, she informed about some health benefits as well as long distance I would received in short time. I was half asleep because I wake up (4 A.M.) to early everyday to go to work and felt for it because I thought this was genuine due to the fact that I currently have a government student loan. After she took all my bank information, a man came into the conversation. He made me repeat all my information to a recorder and gave a phone number. Then told me that the money would be deposited in my bank checking account the next morning and that please not to withdraw all the money because there was a fee of $49.95 that was this company need it to process the award. I went back to sleep and it wasn't untill the next morning that I realized the stupid mistake I have made. I check into my bank account and there was withdraw and deposit. I withdrew most of my money from the bank and kept checking my account everyday and there was no activity. This was a bad dream I thought. On December 19 they withdrew $49.95 with an electronic check causing my checking account to go under. I went into my check book and discover that I had recorded the phone number they gave so I decided to call them and let them go about the scam. The original number they gave (800-923-8939) was from some telephone company which gave another number 877-851-4366. At this number they place a recorder on with my voice giving them permission to conduct this transaction. I became angry and demanded to speak to the manager so he gave me the 866-503-7345 number. I called this number and a man Hispanic accent attended and told to wait. Has was very apologetic and informed that 299.95 was going to be withdraw from my account on December 30. I told him this is going to happen because the account will be closed. He asked me please to give them another chance that the money was going to be deposited soon and to leave the account open because he had change the date of withdrawal from 12/30/05 to 4/28/06. I was very naive to believe him. I did not close my account because I thought that since I had little money in it the bank would not pay that amount. For my supprise on Janaury 3 they place an electronic check for 299.95. The bank went ahead and pay it causing me an overdraft of -235.60. I reported them to fraud with my bank. The bank froze my account and did not return my money because of the recorded consent on the phone on 12/14/05. I contacted Advantage America and they response was that they did everything under the law. I think that they are the one violating the law by miss representing themselves saying that that the U.S. Government is award grant to citizens and since I am subscribe to the "Do Not Call Law" place by the cosumers for telemarketers by the U.S. Goverment.
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