Beware the government grant scam! That isn’t your Facebook friend

SBA only communicates from email addresses ending in @sba.gov. If you are being contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA who is not using an official SBA email address, you should suspect fraud. Criminals continue to evolve their tactics to target unsuspecting victims. Precautions should be taken prior to scanning any QR codes received through unsolicited communications or packages. This is a variation of a “brushing scam,” which is used by online grant scam and fraud alerts vendors to increase ratings of their products. In a traditional brushing scam, online vendors send merchandise to an unsolicited recipient and then use the recipient’s information to post a positive review of the product.

I think “she” offered to make a $500 down payment on my grant fee through the “cashier’s office” at Agent Thomas George’s office. That would allow my application to be processed without paying the full $2,000, but I would need to send a money order the next day before my $150,000 could be shipped to me. Your friend gives you the Facebook page of the government agent who successfully processed her grant. The site and Agent Thomas George sitting in front of a United States flag, look official. Your pal urges you to contact him ASAP before it’s too late.

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USGrants.org is an established government funding resource portal focused on providing legitimate information, resource, and help on government grants and federal funding. From year 2000 to date, USGrants.org has become one of the largest and legitimate go-to resources for information on government grants. The federal government has a page with information on how the government grant programs work and information on scams. You can also search for federal government grants on their site.

Who Offers Legitimate Grants to 501(c)( s?

• A primary goal of many grant scam operations is to steal your personal information, such as your Social Security Number or bank details.
• “I’ve seen proposals as short as 18 pages and as long as several hundred pages,” says Chamberlain.
• If you are being contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA who is not using an official SBA email address, you should suspect fraud.
• It’s much easier to freeze and thaw your credit report than it used to be, and it’s free.

But the goal is the same, to trick elderly and naive people into handing over personal information and their money. You also qualify for the same government grant and your buddy wants to walk you through the process. You can’t dawdle because the government could run out of funds for additional grants at any time.

How fake Carnival Cruise Line customer service is scamming passengers

Californians should be aware of fraudulent activity by individuals claiming to represent the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). Fraudsters unrelated to CSBG are contacting people by telephone, email, social media, and text message offering CSBG funding or services in exchange for a fee. In reality, the link directs to a hacker-operated website run by fraudsters from an Asian country.

How to Recognize and Avoid Grant Scams

• Young people are also susceptible to get-rich-quick schemes.
• Be aware that seeing a company’s official logo is not a guarantee that a communication is legitimate.
• Understanding how to spot the warning signs of a government grant scam or a fake business grant is the first and most critical step in protecting yourself.
• So, not only will the victim of the government grants scam lose their money, but their identity will also be stolen.

A legitimate text from Fidelity will only come from one of the official numbers published on Fidelity.com. However, it can even be possible for scammers to impersonate official phone numbers, by texting targets from a group text. Any unexpected or unfamiliar-looking text should be considered potentially suspicious.

They simply published their videos to lure more victims. While I was busy exploring and reporting the fraudulent page of Agent Thomas George, Fake Shirley was continuing to message me. She wanted to get my application on file by the end of the day. Before I could respond, Fake Shirley sends me the link to Agent Thomas George, the government agent she says will process my grant.

Utility companies don’t demand banking information by email or phone. And they won’t force you to pay by phone as your only option. According to Abu Dhabi Police, the scam is being circulated widely on social media platforms—particularly WhatsApp, email, TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). This website collects information on the latest scams surfacing across the country, including overpayment and fake check scams, emergency scams, phishing scams and home improvement scams. Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Finally, never reply to suspicious texts—not even with “STOP” or any other message.

Reporting the scam helps law enforcement track down criminals and protect others. Grant scams are a significant part of a larger fraud epidemic. Recent data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows a disturbing trend of increasing financial losses. When attempting to access external websites, you may wish to review each privacy notice since their information collection practices may differ from ours.

In this variation, scam actors have incorporated the use of QR codes on packages to facilitate financial fraud activities. Pitt recommends starting with the FBI’s complaint center, listed above. You can customize your notifications to receive alerts of any suspicious activity, for example, or for transactions above a certain size. Get text-message alerts for transactions on your financial accounts, including ones you don’t access often. There are few worse feelings than realizing someone took advantage of you. And every day, there’s a new way someone is setting up scams, putting you and your finances at risk.