Real government grants exist, but they do not arrive as surprise calls or social messages saying you were selected for free money. Scam grant offers ask for fees or personal information to release funds that do not exist.
Does this affect you?
Use this for phone calls, texts, emails, or social media messages claiming to offer a U.S. government grant.
Recognize the scam
Every version eventually asks for money, identity details, or bank information.
- Government agencies do not contact you out of nowhere about a grant you never applied for.
- Never pay a processing, insurance, delivery, tax, or release fee to receive a grant.
- Gift cards, wires, cryptocurrency, and payment apps are not legitimate grant-payment steps.
- Treat urgency and secrecy as warning signs, especially instructions not to tell family or your bank.
- Do not trust caller ID or a government-looking name. Both can be spoofed.
- Do not give a Social Security number, bank account, or ID photo to someone who contacted you unexpectedly.
- Verify through Grants.gov or an official .gov agency website you find yourself.
If you paid or shared information
Report quickly and protect your identity.
- Stop all contact, including with anyone claiming they can recover the grant money.
- If you paid by card, contact the bank or card issuer to dispute the charge.
- If you paid by gift card, wire, crypto, or payment app, contact that issuer or platform immediately, while knowing recovery may be unlikely.
- If you shared your Social Security number, place free credit freezes with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- File a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
- If a specific agency was impersonated, report it to that agency’s inspector general or fraud office.
More control
Real grants require applications
Legitimate grants fund specific purposes such as research, business development, or disaster relief and require formal applications and eligibility rules.
Grants.gov is the official portal
Grants.gov lists real federal grant opportunities, mainly for organizations, researchers, and defined programs, not random individual prizes.
Scams target many age groups
Grant scams often target older adults, but rent, student-loan, and small-business versions also reach younger adults through ads and direct messages.
Sources
- FTC Consumer Advice – Government grant scams (2025)
- Grants.gov – Grant fraud (2025)
- USA.gov – Avoid grant scams (2025)