Is that government grant offer a scam?
You receive a text, Facebook message, or phone call: 'Congratulations! You have been pre-approved for a $9,000 federal government grant. This is not a loan — it never needs to be repaid. To claim your grant, a small processing fee of $250 is required.' This is a scam. Government grants do not work this way.
Real government grants — whether from FEMA, the SBA, HUD, the Department of Agriculture, or any other federal agency — are competitive, application-based, and tied to specific programs with documented eligibility criteria. They are never awarded to random members of the public via text or social media. There is no processing fee to receive a legitimate grant.
These scams surge after natural disasters, when FEMA and state disaster relief programs are in the news and scammers can convincingly impersonate relief agencies. They also peak during stimulus periods and around election seasons when economic relief programs attract public attention.
🚩 Red flags to watch for
- ▶You were contacted out of nowhere — real grants require you to apply; you are never proactively selected.
- ▶A processing fee, administration charge, or tax payment is required before the grant can be released.
- ▶The notification came via text message, Facebook DM, WhatsApp, or Instagram — not official mail.
- ▶The 'government agency' communicates from a Gmail, Yahoo, or non-.gov email address.
- ▶The grant is described as 'free money that never needs to be repaid' with no mention of what it's for or what criteria you meet.
✅ What to do
- 1Ignore and delete the message. You cannot receive a government grant you never applied for.
- 2All legitimate US federal grants are listed at grants.gov — this is the only official portal for federal grant opportunities. There is no fee to search or apply.
- 3For disaster-related relief (FEMA), apply only at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
- 4Report the scam to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and to the agency being impersonated.
📣 Where to report (by country)
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Action Fraud
- Police Scotland — call 101
🇦🇺 Australia
🇨🇦 Canada
🌍 Everywhere else
- Contact your local police and your bank immediately
- If money was sent, ask your bank about a recall request — act within hours
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Common questions
Are there any government grants that don't require an application?
No. Every legitimate government grant program has an application process with defined eligibility criteria, a review process, and documented use requirements. 'Free money for anyone who responds' does not describe any real government program.
My neighbour said she got a government grant. Could the message be real?
Your neighbour may have received a legitimate grant through an application process. That has no bearing on an unsolicited text or call you received out of nowhere. Real grants come in response to applications you submitted — not as bolt-from-the-blue notifications.