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Scammer tells Metairie man he's owed a grant by the government

METAIRIE, La. – A local man contacted the Action Line when a caller claiming to be from the government offered him money.

“They told me they've got a grant in Washington that will give you some money, and you're entitled to the grant,” said the man, who only wanted to be known as Benny. “$7,000 they said."

The caller said they were responding to his request for a grant, but Benny could only remember asking the government for help once.

"If we had a grant coming to us, it was from Katrina, when we got wiped out,” he said.

When the caller began asking for Benny's personal information, he hung up, and emailed the Action Line.

"And he kept pushing and pushing, so I asked him, well if I've got the money coming to me, why don't you send me a check, a government check. 'Oh we can't do that,'” Benny explained.

The Better Business Bureau said the call was definitely a scam.

"I immediately told him this is a scam,” said Cynthia Albert with the BBB. “It's not a gray area, this is definitely a scam. It is so common you would not believe it."

Albert said some victims of these fake government grant offers are tricked into losing thousands of dollars.

"They either ask for the bank account number, or they'll ask for money to be sent, wired. And the main thing we tell people: Do not send any money, no information."

Benny said he didn’t think it would happen to him.

"Oh, I'll be very careful now. My wife won't let me answer the phone anymore,” he said laughing.

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