Free Money Offer? Think Again!

Did you receive a call from a “government” agency or other official-sounding entity claiming that you have qualified to receive a “free grant” to help pay your bills? Did the caller tell you that your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back? Does this scenario sound too good to be true? It is!

These “money-for-nothing” grant offers are scams designed to steal your personal information and your cash. Here’s how you can protect yourself from “government grant” scams:

• Don’t give out your bank account information to anyone you don’t know.Scammers try to pressure you into providing your financial information so they can deposit the grant directly into your account, but they really want to take your money.

• Don’t pay any money for a “free” government grant.A real government agency will not ask you to pay a processing fee for a grant that you have already been awarded, but scammers will try to convince you that you owe a “processing fee” to claim your grant.

• Phone numbers can deceive.Some con artists use computers to disguise their area code on your caller ID. Although it may look like they’re calling from Washington, DC, they could be calling from anywhere in the world.

If you think you may have been a victim of a government grant scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-382-4357. You may also call AARP Foundation ElderWatch at 1-800-222-4444, option 2, to connect with an ElderWatch volunteer specialist.