There are countless number of websites on the Internet that are taking advantage of your need for government funding. Despite where you hear about them, either online or on the phone, or even in local news papers or magazines, these people are not from a government agency and they usually start off by congratulating you on your eligibility to receive grants.
How to Detect a Scam
- They contact you - No government agency will contact you to tell you that you qualify to receive grants. Grant opportunities are announced through government agency websites such as grants.gov for grant seekers to find them, not the other way around.
- They ask for bank information - No government agency will ever ask for your bank account information.
- They ask you to pay up front - No government agency will ask you to pay for any processing fee. You should NOT be paying for any information such as a list of grant opportunities and/or funding institutions. These types of information are available and free to access on government funding agency websites such as grants.gov.
- They pretend to be from the government - There are websites that are designed to deceive you making you to think that they are a government agency. Or you may receive calls from people indicating that they are calling from a government agency. Remember, government does NOT call you to give you grants.
- They call you from fake numbers - In the digital age, any technology savvy person can fake a phone number. We can call you from a number but you will see it showing up as, for example, "911" on your caller ID. Caller IDs can be easily faked.
Report Scam:
Have you gotten scammed from this website in the past? Please use the form to report it. By doing so you will generate awareness and help others not to trust the information on this website.
Alternatively, you can also file a complaint directly with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online or over the phone at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
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