This person called me on my cell phone, from phone number 513/ 492-9588 that showed it came from the state of Ohio. He called me by my name and verified verbally over the phone~ my address, city, state & zip code. I didn't give him any of this information ~ he already had it!
Then he told me that he was with the "U.S. Treasury Department, Grants Division" and told me that I was one of 1700 people selected to receive a grant of $7000. He told me that this "grant award" was based on a "demographic survey." He said that the people that were selected were because they had paid their taxes on time & hadn't filed bankruptcy. He then asked me how I wanted to receive my grant money ~ "deposit to my checking account, " "credit card" or in form of a "check." I told him he could send a check. He also told me this grant didn't have to be "repaid." This person had a very thick accent, but spoke good English, that indicated he could have been of Indian, Armenian or Nigerian nationality. When I asked him how come he had an American name when he had such a heavy accent, he just sighed and said "my god!" He again asked me how I wanted to receive the money and I told this person, John Parker, that he could send me a check. At this point, he told me that I needed to call his "supervisor" and talk to him. He then gave me the name of "Max Williams", a phone number of 202/ 657-6142 and a "confirmation code of 'ME103'". He said that I was to call "Max Williams" right away & that he was expecting my call. I didn't give any information about my checking account or credit card. I was already suspecting it was a "scam" but was just playing along with the charade.
I did a reverse search on the 513/ 492-9588 phone number and it showed that it was a "landline" and was located in Mason, OH.
I didn't lose any money with this situation, so I'm not seeking any financial compensation. I just want other people, of all ages, to be aware of what is happening. I didn't fall for this scheme, but maybe some of the other "1700" people might not. I'm concerned that some elderly people might think this is a good deal.
I will submit a separate complaint about this other person, "Max Williams" in a moment.
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