Woman Records Fraudsters in 'Grant Scam'
A South Carolina woman learned the hard way that it's best not to trust strangers who ask for money over the phone. The victim fell for what's as the "government grant scam," in which the caller claims the victim has qualified for a grant.
In this instance, the victim was informed that she'd allegedly won an $8,500 grant, as long as she agreed to pay a processing fee, which she gladly did, reports WYFF-TV in Greenville, S.C. "I was excited, you know," the victim said.
The victim wired the money via Western Union, but she soon realized there was no government grant coming, after subsequent phone calls to the fraudsters had her jumping through hoops. Suspicious, the victim recorded her follow-up phone calls.
No one likes to be the victim of a scam, though WYFF notes that the incident did contain all the hallmarks of a fraudulent act: an overseas phone number, a caller with a thick foreign accent and a story that didn't add up.
