Free Government Grant Scam

You may have been a victim of the government grant scam in the past. You rec

Image via Wikipedia

eive promises of billions of dollars in free money being available from the government, and that a grant check is waiting for you with your name on it. Is this a complete scam, or is there really free grant money available for US citizens to claim?

The answer is yes and no. The government does in fact allocate billions, if not trillions, of dollars in grant money that is given away every year. Many of these grants are for research, community development, and to help small businesses. Students are also able to fairly easily receive free grant money from both the government and private foundations that offer these programs. Between the government and private foundation grants, there are thousands of programs that provide financial aid to people and organizations to help them achieve their goals. Typically a grant means the money does not need to be repaid, which makes them drastically different than loans.

Where the government grant scam does exist is when you receive a call from someone that says you were just awarded a grant for thousands of dollars. To claim your money, all you need to do is verify your identity by providing some personal information. This is most likely a scam. The government does not randomly call people to inform them they were awarded free money. In order to receive a grant, you have to apply for it, and the process is one that you would remember applying for. If you were to receive a grant, you would not be called up unexpectedly. You would be notified by mail and anticipating that approval letter, not surprised by a random caller. Don't fall for this government grant scam.