The Bell County Sheriff’s Department is warning residents in their area about a grant scam. A victim of the scam stated the caller claims to be from the National Institute of HELP, located on 915 2nd Avenue out of Seattle, Washington. The number scammers were calling from was 206-472-6021. The caller had the victim’s social security number and credit card numbers. The victim was instructed to purchase a money gram for $350 and send it to the company’s “representatives” Richard Johnson and Peter Clark. In return, the victim was to receive a $14,000 grant from the company. The Sheriff’s Department advises victims not to give out any personal information, contact financial institutions informing them of the incident, and request new cards be issued.
