GREENSBORO, N.C. — In the last two years, the government has given out stimulus checks, and money to help pay rent and utilities, and provided extra unemployment money. So, it's not crazy to think there could be something more.
Recently, a 2 Wants To Know viewer sent me this:
I received an email from Kathleen Sebelius of DHHS saying that I could get a $125,000.00 grant. I filled out the application. It said I had to send them $1,500.00 in three Wells Fargo gift cards to get the money. The money was for taxes.
According to the FTC, this is a classic scam tactic, you have money waiting for you, you won something, but you have to pay upfront to get the prize.
This kind of scam is common with grants and with scammers posing as Publishers Clearing House. You supposedly “win” the prize but you have to pay fees or use gift cards to pay the taxes.
“If your viewers get an email, a call, any contact, a letter that says you've won a prize, but you have to send money, rip up the letter, hang up the phone and report it to law enforcement, because that's a scam,” said Chris Irving of Publishers Clearing House.
Anytime someone says you can get a prize, grant money, free money, someone died and left you money---but--you have to pay the fees or taxes first to get it, it is always a scam.
“A common way for a scammer to get someone's money is by asking them to go a bunch of gift cards,” said NC Attorney General Josh Stein.
Gift cards are not traceable, so once you read the numbers off the back, your money is gone.