Grant Scam Safety Center
Grant Scam Safety Center
Grants.com does not award grants
Fraudsters may use the Grants.com name or lookalike addresses. Learn the warning signs and what to do if you are targeted.
What we will never do
- We never notify anyone of a grant award by email, text, or social media. We do not award grants.
- We never ask for bank account details, gift cards, wire transfers, or processing fees to release funds.
- We never contact you unexpectedly about money you have supposedly been approved to receive.
How to spot a grant scam
- You are “approved” for a grant you never applied for.
- Someone asks for a fee, deposit, banking details, gift cards, or a wire transfer to release money.
- Someone claiming to be a government agent messages you personally about an award.
- The message promises guaranteed funding, secret grant lists, or “free government money.”
How to verify a real opportunity
- Find the program on its official source, such as Grants.gov for federal opportunities or the funder’s own website.
- Inspect the sender’s email domain carefully. Lookalike domains are a common tactic.
- Submit applications only through official portals, never by replying to an unsolicited message.
If you have been targeted
- Report the incident to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- For federal grant impersonation, contact [email protected].
- If you disclosed banking information, contact your bank immediately.
- Forward suspicious emails that name Grants.com to [email protected].