"Federal Government Selected 1500 Citizens to be Awarded a $9000 Grant" Scam

Scammers are calling people and telling them that they were selected for a grant valuing $9,000 by the Federal Government. The amount may change. Please note that this is a scam and there is no $9000 government grant. The scammers will ask you to send money via Western Union, MoneyGram, Prepaid Debit cards like MoneyPak, or ask you for your credit card information, which they claim they will need for the payment of the processing fees or to prevent you from paying taxes.

Federal Government Selected 1500 Citizens to be Awarded a $9000 Grant Scam

Never send money to someone who asks you to make payments via Western Union, MoneyGram, Prepaid debit cards, or give your credit card information to someone over the phone, or send it in an e-mail message.

Always remember this golden rule:
Once you are asked to send money in order to receive money, it is a scam.

If you have received phone calls or e-mail messages similar to this scam, please post information about them in the comment below, to be shared with others, which may help them avoid scams like these.

This scam is similar to the following:

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.
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Comments (Total: 22)

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  • October 29, 2021 at 1:19 PM by an anonymous user from: Wake, Apex, North Carolina, United States

    I too, had this to happen. The 1st that called was a J Williams, but you know it isn't at a 919 896 8094 phone number. His accent was hella strong. He says to me,, you qualified and was chosen to receive $9000. 1500 people across The US was chosen. Criteria, not filing for bankruptcy, paying bills on time, single parents, people with low or no income, etc. Then he asks how would I like my money..my bank acct or Western Union/ Money gram? I sat Western Union. The whole time totally not believing. He says get a pen and paper. Write down a code🙄VY301 and call 202 709 7492. I am like here we go, I called and blocked my number another guy JOHN WALLACE. He gets uneasy bc he can't see my number. He asks what is my number.

    I tell him it always comes up restricted. He goes on,

    tells me to go to Walmart Walgreens or CVS, to call when I am in the parking lot. Tgat I would need to send $200. So I ask what dept was he calling from? He says some dept, but different from J Williams at prior number, w a 919 area code. So I tell him that the other guy said US Dept of Treasury. He says he was in verifications. I tell him I am an FBI agent 😉 He hangs up on me 🤣 I call again, blocking my number, he says my 1st name and says I am waisting his time and to not call back 😄😅, I tell him that he is a scammer and that he is going to be arrested. It's sad people lie and actually gain from these scams. I feel sorry for the elderly or the mentally challenged that may actually believe and/or naive youths.

  • June 24, 2019 at 5:06 PM by an anonymous user from: Elkridge, Maryland, United States

    Rec'd phone call from 202 650 0557 c/o "jenny" requesting 200.00 via western union or money gram for the purpose of registering my name with federal reserve bank for payment activation of 9000.00 grant monies to be paid via western union with the promise that the 200.00 would be reimbursed for a grand total of 9200.oo. I am supposed to call him back within the hour to have him "walk me thru" the process once I reach the store parking lot.

  • June 13, 2019 at 4:33 PM by an anonymous user from: Denver, Colorado, United States

    Rec'd phone call from 646 389 0203 c/o "Kim" requesting 200.00 via western union or money gram for the purpose of registering my fame with federal reserve bank for payment activation of 9000.00 grant monies to be deposited onto my debit card directly after doing so. in fact I am supposed to call her back within the hour to have her "walk me thru" the process once i reach the store... -anonymous from Denver, co.

  • October 31, 2018 at 1:34 PM by an anonymous user from: Bradenton, Florida, United States

    I received a phone call from some verification officer of randomly selected 1500 tax paying citizens to receive $9,000 from the Federal Reserve. Jeff Morris Ext 1122 (202-813-9390) will provide a tax-free gift to me after I generate a registration number by purchasing a registration card at Walmart or dollar store and put 200 dollars on it. Some reasoning regarding tax-free id need. 1 time Federal Bank of NY providing this 9000 tax-free cash through western union.

  • July 26, 2018 at 4:22 PM by an anonymous user from: New York, United States

    I live in Lindenhurst and for the last couple of days people with a Washington DC phone number have been bothering me,I finally talked to them and they told me that the government was going to give me 9000 dollars, all I had to do is give my bank account numbers to them so they could transfer money to me.

    I told them I was born at night but not last night and hung up watch your selves out there people

  • June 26, 2018 at 6:03 PM by an anonymous user from: Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

    Just had the phone call about the $9,000 grant from the federal government. Than I was one of 1,500 people in the US to be chosen for the grant.

    I did not wait for them to ask me to send any money. Just told them to send the check to me and I will decide what I want to do with it. Then I hung up.

  • June 19, 2018 at 4:05 PM by an anonymous user from: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

    2 phone calls today from heavily-accented people telling me of my good fortune. Told them Trump would gladly steal $9000 from me, but never give it to me.

  • March 12, 2018 at 5:58 PM by an anonymous user from: Chicago, Illinois, United States

    I received a call today (3/12/18) from a thickly accented woman telling me I have been selected to receive $9000 from the US government in the form of a nonrepayable grant. She gave me a "code" number and a phone number to call to "claim" my number.

    I was born at night but not last night! I could smell scam all over this. There was no name on the phone just a number.

    Why would our country give out grants for no reason, AND use a foreign person to notify me? SCAM! SCAM! SCAM!

  • February 12, 2018 at 7:18 PM by an anonymous user from: Omaha, Nebraska, United States

    I received that call today at work, I ask why would the government give me 9000 in grant money, she explained with her India voice, she gave me a number to call 360 203 0371, and Grant #AN171,

    I hung up and told a coworker, we laughed about it being a scam, so first thing I did was goggle it, I love google, if the government was going to give you 9,000 free money, they would send you a CHECK! Period, please beware of these thieves. Ms. One of the sharpest knives in the drawer.

  • July 8, 2017 at 12:03 AM by an anonymous user from: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

    Omg, this is so crazy to me because today I did something so stupid that I really send them $200, and on top of that they wanted me to come up with an extra 500 once I send the 500 I was going to receive my money. But now that I come on this page it gives me a wake-up call thanks a lot so mad that I didn't see this before after I already sent him $200. SMH, shame on me and shame on them for lying. It has to be a way that I can get this money back. I just don't know how.

  • March 21, 2017 at 5:26 PM by an anonymous user from: Seattle, Washington, United States

    I have been getting calls allday today; the first offered 8000, the latest offer was 9200 which I am to call at 1-202-888-167. When I get to Walmart they said I would receive the money at the cash Center in Walmart; they also gave me a grant i.d. MM531 to give to the person I talk with in the morning. Sounds too good to be true.

    Also on the earlier call I got a grant i.d. of AC502 and phone number 1-206-596-0969 that 's 17200 in grant's in one day doing pretty good if it were true. Walter.

    • March 21, 2017 at 6:20 PM by info

      It is a scam. Do not fall for it.

  • January 27, 2017 at 5:46 PM by an anonymous user from: Orlando, Florida, United States

    I am glad I check this out because I just find out someone called regarding the 1500 people selected from the government and they were going to send me money and I have to paid a transaction fee in order to get money about 9100 doallars in total. Thanks for the info.

  • November 8, 2016 at 12:32 PM by info

    Received via email:

    "I were contacted today Nov 07 from a scammer representing the U.S.Federal Grant and Treasuray Dept. stating that the government had awarded me $9,200.00 tax free because paying taxes annually so this is a one time allocated amount to random citizens and I will receive the money from the Federal Reserve Bank in secure form of my choice through Western union Money Graham, Prepaid Debit, iTunes,or savings account for processing fees these were couple of no's they called from 202-657-6837 202-568-5894 beware of these scams this information OTA was a great help and eye opener. "

  • November 6, 2016 at 10:30 AM by an anonymous user from: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

    I hope the people preying on innocent people will be stopped. This is terrible, knowing they can trick people. I was called 2 times in the last month. They can stop calling me...if you can't understand, what is being said,hang up!

  • August 9, 2016 at 5:14 PM by an anonymous user from: Chicago, Illinois, United States

    Glad I looked this up because I got a call from a woman telling me that the government chose me to get a 9000 dollar grant for paying my taxes every year.

    I knew this was a scam please beware the government don't just give out money you have to apply for a grant.

    • September 2, 2016 at 11:46 AM by an anonymous user from: Cicero, Illinois, United States

      Glad I looked this up also. Received calls 3 different time saying I was selected to received 7K free grant, but I had to register for $350. And I would get that back along with 7K. Thank God for internet.

  • February 25, 2016 at 7:14 PM by an anonymous user from: San Diego, California, United States

    Hi Everyone and to all that this may apply too. This month, must be a Month Scam Derby. Last week and this week 02-15-2016 _ 02/26/2016, I have received a lot of scam offers by cellphone, on my Home Phone, in mail, in emails. Most of them claiming I won 2.5 million dollars, how I had to pay $375 that exceeded state requirements for $$ won.

    I gotten calls on my home phone claiming I won a trip, I was chosen & selected to receive this free grant. Both calls I received from them. They used the last names Johnson and Smith, fist names they use are Dave, John and Jennifer. I gotten call from, PCH, 7000 dollars grant, email saying she got my name out of Indeed and Via email, and claims to be Attorney looking for a Personal Assistance, and claim her husband died of Cancer and her children are in Turkish, and her son is ill and has go back to care for them, and bring them back and she wants to pay in advance to save my position to work for her.

    My friend got one in the same way, but her's said to clean a house and she went to look for the address, it was an empty lot. And sent her a check of $2000. Their was also Post LLC, they want to hire you and send you a fake application, and when you try to call the number that's on the Logo, no one ever answers.

    When I've ask for their number to speak with them, they either don't respond back by giving you their information and their phone number, or they keep sending you the same email as if they were on some electronic device and most of these people sound foreign.

    This is something that the public needs to be aware of and this is not a joke, and this should not be taken lightly. It's frightening to know that there are a networking group of people and companies that are being scammed and lied to. God bless their souls.

    Be aware don't allow yourself to be scammed!

  • September 4, 2015 at 1:42 PM by an anonymous user from: Orange, California, United States

    hahaha...this c**p is old and why don't they use other accent besides Indian accent; I'm wondering. Every time when a scam like this occurs, it always an Indian accent.

  • February 10, 2015 at 1:34 PM by an anonymous user from: Canoga Park, California, United States

    Wow...

    I just got a call form an UNKNOWN number... That I have got $9000 for being a good citizen... Then, the woman with a weird accent told me to call this number 202 657 6443!

    I spoke to John, and he told me to go to a MoneyGram right away... He wanted me to pay $280...

    Before I go... I pasted this number 202 657 6443 on Google... And found about this scam... Thank GOD...

  • November 5, 2014 at 12:34 PM by an anonymous user from: Palmdale, California, United States

    Today I received a call from (206)559-7936 about a government grant I had been selected to receive. Nothing is free in this world and if our government had money to give away they could give us free health care.

    • September 13, 2016 at 6:31 PM by an anonymous user from: Houston, Texas, United States

      I agreed, nothing is free here in this country.

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"Federal Government Selected 1500 Citizens to be Awarded a $9000 Grant" Scam