Nationwide grant scam reaches NMI

The Attorney General’s Office issued a warning yesterday against a nationwide scam involving callers fraudulently claiming to be representatives of the U.S government or groups assisting federal agencies with grant distribution.

In an advisory, the AGO said Rota residents have reported that they are being contacted by telemarketers who claim to be offering government grants for thousands of dollars for a fee of $200 or so.

According to the AGO, the telemarketer will ask the consumer for their checking account numbers to debit a “one time processing fee” for which they will then direct deposit “federal grant money” at a later date.

In one such instance involving a Rota resident, the caller identified himself as Jamie Dawson from the Government Grant Information. The scammer told the consumer that he had been selected for a federal grant, which he never applied for. The caller also asked for his checking account number.

When the consumer questioned whether his company was legitimate, the caller told him to view their website www.grant.gov. The consumer checked and the website does not exist.

The caller also reportedly gave two phone numbers where he can be reached: 1-800-530-4282 and 1-800-551-7099.

The AGO said similar scams have been reported in Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, and West Virginia. Sometimes, the scam artist claims to be a representative of the U.S. Department of Education offering scholarship grants.

The scammers also use various business names including Free U.S. Government Grants, Federal Government Grant, Information Grant Center, New Federal Grant Information, or similar names.

The AGO said another form of this scam involves a caller who claims to be a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency claiming the consumer is entitled to federal disaster relief funds.

Regardless of the claimed agency, the caller will ask the consumer to give their bank account information to secure the grant.

“There is no legitimate government program that employs people to call consumers to offer grants. Government grants, including student financial aid, are available through an application process, not through telemarketers,” said acting attorney general Clyde Lemons. “Consumers should never reveal their bank account number or other personal information over the phone. If you get a call asking for this type of information, hang up.”

Giving out bank account numbers may result in unauthorized withdrawals from the consumer’s account. It may also lead to identity theft.