The Danville Metropolitan Police Department posted the video to its Facebook page as well as on YouTube, where the police chief is sitting in the passenger seat of a car while his companion drives. He starts the recording out by asking the caller why he’s calling.
“You have been selected by the federal government to receive a grant amount of $7,000,” the voice tells him. At which point you might want to have your volume down as he lets out an ear-splitting WOOOOOOOO!!! As one would do if they were actually going to receive $7,000 for no reason.
The scammer goes on to explain why and how he’s been selected, saying the government had checked all his accounts “and you have been a low taxpayer so this is like a tax refund which you never, ever have to pay back in your whole life.”
The WOOOOOOOOO!!!s continue, even as the scammer even tries to give his pitch an air of credibility, informing the chief that all calls are recorded, “for your safety and security reasons.”
He adds that they won’t be putting the money directly into his regular account, but he can get it by going to — wait for it! — Western Union, where a supervisor will help him.
“Western Union — that’s the one with the horses right?” the chief replies.
The scammer instructs him to call them back and at that point someone will be on the line with him until he receives the grant money.
He seems to realize he’s not fooling anyway when he relays a “grant confirmation code” and the chief purposely recites back the wrong number, substituting “666” in the middle repeatedly.
“You can stick that money up your ass, okay?” the scammer says, to which the woman driver replies.
Just a reminder: The government will never call you on the phone and tell you you’ve just won a bunch of money. Never give out personal information over the phone to a stranger.
“I immediately recognized it as being a scam,” the chief told Fox 59, adding that the department decided to post the video as much to let people know what’s going on as much as well as for the fun factor.
“They absolutely picked the wrong person,” he said.”
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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