For those who don't know, the 202 area code is Washington DC. a "gentleman" (I use this term loosely) with a heavy accent, seeking someone who I don't know regarding a grant (I had $8,000 and $9,000 that were supposedly won). If my Spidey Senses weren't already tingling, I had a few clues that this was bogus:
- Call for "wrong person", but willing to give me the money
- "Grant money" would be mine for an up-front fee
- One call at 1:42AM (well after legitimate telemarketing hours)
- The use of the F word when the scam was called on him.
It turns out that this particular number is, for the time being, provisioned by Level 3 Communications. Level 3's representative assured me that this number should be disabled this afternoon. Unfortunately, this only cuts one head off the hydra. There are plenty more out there, and more will sprout up in its place.
Right now, it's October in America (OK, it's October everywhere). There are national, state and regional elections and ballot issues that will be decided in less than one month, and there are plenty of calls going out to try to get support/opposition for everything. So, by using a DC number, they may deceive some folks into answering, with the thought it's a political call (these are exempted from the Do Not Call Act of 2003).
Just remember, government grants may be awarded, but first one has to apply for it. You do not just "win a lottery" because you have a name and phone number. Genuine government grant award notifications will come through proper correspondence. They never require a payment for receipt.
Calls like this are a scam, plain and simple. Don't be fooled out of your hard-earned money by falling for something like this.
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