Government Grant Processing Center Ripoff Telesolicitation Scam, $8000 Grant for $257 "Processing Fee" & Bank Details St Petersburg Florida
7:30 A.M. on Thanksgiving Morning. What Government Department works on a Government Holiday? You have been selected to receive a Government Grant of $8,000 to do with whatever you wish ... start a new business, buy groceries ... it's entirely up to you!
To issue you a security code, so that only you have access to the $8000, you need to pre-authorize a $257 payment, which will not fund for 10 days. We will then send you all the authorization forms in the mail for you to validate and check out the information. Who do you bank with?
... We cannot issue the security code until you authorize the check. You can put a stop order on it if you don't like it, because you have 10 days.
... No! We can't give you a contact address, phone number or any other information because this is a highly secure $30 Billion program and we don't want to become a target for fraud! (Ha!)
... Called the police on the other line: "We don't investigate telephone solicitation. Too much of it to deal with at a police level. We simply don't have the resources!"
... Give us you banking info, and we will give you a Government Customer Care #, and a contact number that you can call in with. ... No, we can't give you that number, because it's impossible to remember all the numbers for the various regions of the country, right? (They use that "right" a lot!) The computer generates that contact number, and your security code, after the pre-processing form is completed.
... No, we can't send you the forms for you to fill in, because the information is pre-printed on the form. We need that to generate the form.
Summary:
* A Government Department working on Thanksgiving?
* A person with a heavy foreign accent. Not proof, but disconcerting!
* A Government grant for no reason? Not a tax refund, small business development program, or anything ... Just "the government decided to give away $30 billion. You can use it to buy groceries, or whatever!"
* No website to checkout.
* No other Government Department we can call to verify, or that they are accountable to!
* Unwilling to give out any contact info. No address, phone number, physical location, or whatever.
* Beligerent, argumentative and almost aggressive "pushiness" ... all while saying, "I'm not here to argue with you!"
** ASKING FOR BANKING INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE!!
* "Pay us ... and we'll send you!" ... Yeah, right!
* "You have been selected in a drawing" ... Sorry buster, you forgot which scam you were working. That's the line for winning the Canadian Lottery. Governments don't do "drawings".
* Repetitive "script". Any question you ask, you just get exactly the same verbage over and over again ... like a stuck recording!
Here's the thing that gets me angry. If a thug tried to attack me, if I could, I would stop them in tracks so that they never attacked me or anyone else again. With this, I say, "Touch me and I'll deck you!" ... and they say, "Okay!" ... and go half a block down the street and mug some little old lady who can't protect herself ... and steal her life savings! If I get suckered in because of my own stupidity ... so be it! My fault for not being wise. But if someone is weak through little to no fault of their own ... and they get ripped off ... that is extremely unjust!
Erl
Champlin, Minnesota
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Bobby
Tucson,Arizona,
U.S.A.
the same call, these people are very well trained
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, December 12, 2004
Hey..i got the same call at 6pm in the evening. My nephew (hes 7) came running to me that someone from the Govt wants to talk to you...Lol i thought donno maybe im involved in someting or god knoes what ...and then the guy started his stuff....even though i knew about all these telephone scams i kept asking him to give me his call back number so that i can call himback in 10 minutes and provide him with all the information.
.. and boy o boy these people are very well trained i must say.. He definately impressed me with his confident...and Yeah the guy sounded like some chinese american ...nehow after 30 minutes i started cussin him hahah...i also did offer him if i could join him and he started laughing and then he hung up...I hope no one gets ripped off by these people... On ething i would like to know that since they ask for the money transfer cant the police trace the bank account and find who all are involved....
Hiro
Rochester,New York,
U.S.A.
I have exactly same phone call today.
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, December 08, 2004
The telephone was from the woman named Angelina Parker, with strong accent.
I asked her to send me a chashiers check for the amount, but she kept asking my bank information.
I am glad to find this site and exactly the same case as mine.
Thank you!!!!!
Diana
Bronx,New York,
U.S.A.
If it's too good to be true, then it is! BEWARE
#4Consumer Comment
Wed, December 08, 2004
I recieved the exact same phone call 2 days ago from "the government processing center". An employee name "Steve James" who had a heavy indian accent, was very pushy. Everything that was stated in this Rip-off Report happend to the letter. At first I was excited because I'm putting myself through school and I have a family to support, then I thought it was too good to be true. I asked him to call me back the next day so that I can find out the deal about them. My gut instinct told me not to get sucked in to let them in on my bank information. My husband also thought it was a scam when I explained what had happened. I'm so glad that I didn't and I am very greatful to have found this Rip-off Report to confirm that my instincts were correct. I hope that people learn to listen to their instincts and not let a dream get the best of them. I wish there was more I could do to stop this horrible crime they are committing on hardworking individuals who work hard for the money that they have.