On Wednesday, Feb. 6th 2013 I received a phone call from Melissa Watson, phone# 202-301-4406, telling me to call Maurice Anderson, phone# 315-834-0286 at the Federal Reserve Bank. Mr. Anderson spoke with a very heavy Indian accent. I called and he explained that I was to receive a $7000.00 grant from the government. A "good citizen" grant. That 1500 people are selected annually and I had been chosen. The request was to send $290.00 cash via Western Union to Mark Lee, destination India. Maurice also instructed me that I would be reimbursed the $290 when the $7000 transferred into my Visa debit card by 9:30 today, Feb. 7th 2013. Total $7290.00. I called today, the 7th of Feb., to see if the money had been transferred, and when it wasn't, I called Maurice back. He explained that I should call yet another phone#, 315-636-4650 and with tracking #AC07, find out where the money went. That phone # was answered by another gentleman whose name I could not understand. He also spoke with an even heavier Indian accent. He began to instruct me that I had to send an additional $600 as a closing fee which would be returned to me. At this point I knew it was all a scam.
The evening of the day I received the call, a friend stopped by and I told him what was going on. He immediately alerted me that this was an attempt to defraud me.
I realized even as I took money out of my account this could be a scam. I questioned Maurice about this several times. He kept reassuring me it was all legit. I was foolish. Looked at it as a bet. If I invested $290 I could get $7000. Don't know when I forgot that you NEVER get something for nothing. I've since closed my accounts and am grateful that it was only $300, $10 fee for Western Union. I felt it was important to file a complaint and will also alert my local police department.
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