Plymouth Township Man Falls Victim to Western Union Wire Fraud

A Plymouth Township man fell victim to wire fraud on April 12 after receiving several calls from someone claiming to be a representative from the U.S. Government Public Grants Division, according to a police report. 

The man told police he was contacted by telephone regarding pending grants that he is eligible for. The person told the man in order to receive the grants, he had to send money through Western Union for a Charity Fund, according to the police report.

The man said he was given a name in Sri Lanka as a contact to send the money and that he went to the Kroger on Sheldon Road to complete the transaction, the report said. 

According to the report, shortly after he transferred the money, the man was contacted again by someone saying they were from the Public Grants Division. The person told the man that a security deposit was also needed and would have to be sent through Western Union in order to release the grant money.

The man said he was transferred to another person to verify his bank account information and social security number. The man told police he did provide them with his bank account information, but withheld his social security number then again went to Kroger to transfer the money, the report said. 

The man was contacted a third time on April 12 saying they had to gather more information before releasing the grant money. The man told police he contacted the U.S. Grant Division on an official hotline and he was informed that they had not previously contacted him, according to the report. 

The man had wired a total of $704 to the callers. 

The man told police that he contacted his bank and changed his checking account number, and no other funds had been withdrawn from his account, the report said.