Someone claiming to be an agent from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
reaches out to you through social media and informs you that you qualify for free government
grant money. They direct you to an official-looking website so you can enter personal banking
information to “process” the grant. Government grant scams can involve offers of free money to
pay for education, business expenses, including payroll, unpaid bills, or education. They are all
scams. The scammers may reach out by phone or email which may look or sound official,
especially to someone who is not on the lookout for fraud. Remember, the government will never
contact you about grants of any kind. Real government grants require an application and are for a
specific purpose. It is also important to realize that credit card companies will usually reimburse
money stolen by fraud. Money that you have been tricked into giving away is much less likely to
ever be recovered.