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July 23, 2020

Fraud Alert!

EDA is aware of recent incidents of fraudulent emails, letters, or other communications sent to individuals offering to provide EDA grants in exchange for money or personal information. The scammers behind these fraudulent communications often pose as EDA employees or agents in an attempt to extract payment. Please note that EDA does not provide grants to individuals and does not ask individuals to disclose personal information. In addition, EDA does not require applicants to submit a processing or other fee. EDA grants can only be obtained by following the procedures described in the Notices of Funding Opportunities provided for the programs listed on our Funding Opportunities page.

If you believe you have been the victim of one of these scams or are aware of such incidents with your members, please contact the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General and submit a report. You may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1 or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

Please note that complaints involving the internet may also be referred to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which accepts complaints here. For more information on grant fraud and grant-related scams, please see: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grant-fraud.html.