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You may have seen an ad, gotten a call, or
received an email offering "free government grants." The people making
these offers claim to represent the United States government or groups
assisting the federal government with grant distribution. They might ask
for personal information such as your Social Security and bank account
numbers and promise to deposit the grant directly into your account.
They might ask you to pay a "processing fee" for the grant. But instead
of giving you a grant, their real plan is to steal your identity, your
money, or both.
- The government doesn’t telephone people or send unsolicited
letters or emails to offer grants. If someone contacts you
unexpectedly and offers you a grant, it’s a scam. Don’t provide your
financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, or other
personal information in response to such an offer. Crooks "phish"
for that information to steal victims’ money and impersonate them
for other illegal purposes.
- Government grants never require fees of any kind. You
might have to provide financial information to prove that you
qualify for a government grant, but you won’t have to pay to get
one.
- Government grants require an application process. They
aren’t simply given over the phone and are never guaranteed.
Applications for government grants are reviewed to determine if they
meet certain criteria and are awarded based on merit. If you didn’t
apply for a government grant and someone says you’re receiving one,
it’s a scam.
- Government grants are made for specific purposes, not just
because someone is a good taxpayer. Most government grants are
awarded to states, cities, schools, and nonprofit organizations to
help provide services or fund research projects. Grants to
individuals are typically for things like college expenses or
disaster relief.
- Don’t be fooled by official or impressive-sounding names.
Swindlers claiming to provide or help get government grants often
invent impressive-sounding names and titles for themselves and the
companies they represent. They operate under many different names
and phone numbers, take your money, then leave town to start all
over again.
- Beware of services offering government grant information for
a fee or requesting your personal information to provide it.
Information about government grants and other benefits is free
(though there may be a fee for some print publications) and you
don’t have to give personal information to get it.
Resources for Information about Government Grants and
Benefits
www.cfda.org
Online catalogue of federal domestic assistance programs. Hard-copy
available for a fee through the Government Printing Office, (202)
512-1800 or toll-free outside of the DC metro area, (866) 512-1800.
www.fafsa.ed.gov
Information and applications from the U.S. Department of Education
for student financial aid programs. Telephone hotline, (800) 433-3243,
operates Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to midnight Eastern Standard Time,
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
www.govbenefits.gov
Information about a wide variety of state and federal government
benefits and programs. Telephone hotline, (800) 333-4636, operates
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
www.grants.gov
Information about grants available from government agencies.
Telephone hotline, (800) 518-4726, operates Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 9
p.m. Eastern Standard Time. |
