How to Tell Real Help From a Scam

The golden rules

• Applying for official programs is free. "Application fees," "processing fees," and "release fees" for grants or benefits are the most common scam pattern. The FTC says government agencies never charge fees to get a grant.
• No real agency asks you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or cash. That request alone is a sign of a scam.
• Don't give personal or bank details to someone who contacted you. Share your Social Security or bank account number only on an application you started yourself, through the agency's official site or office.
• Pressure is a red flag. Threats of arrest, losing your benefits, or a same-day shutoff unless you pay right now are how scammers work, not agencies.
• Caller ID and official-sounding names can be faked. So can "employee ID" numbers and logos.

Common scams targeting people in hardship

Government impersonation

Calls, texts, emails, or social media messages from someone claiming to be with the IRS, Social Security, Medicare, the FTC, or an invented "national grant office." They may threaten arrest or a loss of benefits, or promise a refund or prize if you pay a fee. The FTC's advice is simple: government agencies won't contact you out of the blue to ask for money or personal information. Check any claim yourself through USA.gov or the agency's official site, not through links or phone numbers in the message.

"Free government grant" scams

"You've been selected for a $9,000 hardship grant. Just pay $200 to release it." Real grants don't work this way. USA.gov warns that promises of government "free money" are often scams, and that each real program has its own eligibility rules and application. Nobody selects you out of the blue, and nobody legitimate asks for money to release money. The only free official list of federal grants is Grants.gov, and most of those grants go to organizations, not individuals. To find real help for yourself, use the USAGov benefit finder.

"Processing fee" benefit scams

Some websites and callers offer to "help" with SNAP, Medicaid, housing, or relief payments for a fee, or say your benefits are approved and only a processing fee stands in the way. Official applications cost nothing. If a site asks you to pay before applying for a public benefit, leave it and go to your state agency's .gov site instead. Our guides to government grants and loans and grant money for bills explain what really exists.

IRS impersonation

The IRS usually contacts people first by regular mail, and you will normally get several letters before any call or visit. According to the IRS, it won't call to demand immediate payment by a specific method such as a gift card, prepaid debit card, or wire transfer; demand payment without giving you a chance to question or appeal the amount; or threaten to send police or immigration officers or revoke your license. If you're unsure, look up the IRS phone number yourself on IRS.gov.

Utility shutoff scams

A caller, text, or visitor says your power, gas, or water will be shut off today unless you pay right away. The FTC says real utilities don't demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection, and won't ask you to pay by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or gift card. Hang up and call the number on your bill. If you really are behind, see our guides to utility bill help and 211 gas assistance.

AI voice-clone calls

Scammers can copy a person's voice from a short audio clip and call pretending to be a family member in trouble who needs money fast. The FTC's advice: don't trust the voice. Hang up and call the person at a number you know is theirs, or check with another family member or friend. Be wary of any request to wire money, send cryptocurrency, or buy gift cards.

Fake debt relief

Companies promising to erase your debt for a large upfront fee, or telling you to stop all contact with your creditors. Under federal rules, for-profit debt relief companies that sell by phone generally can't charge you before they settle or reduce your debt. Start instead with a nonprofit credit counselor through NFCC.org, or read our debt relief options.

Rental and housing scams

Fake listings that ask for a deposit before you see the home, or "rent-to-own" contracts with hidden terms. Never pay a deposit for a property you haven't seen, and have any rent-to-own contract reviewed first. Free HUD-approved housing counselors can help: find one here.

Phishing texts and emails

Messages about an "unclaimed relief payment," a "locked EBT card," or "suspended benefits" with a link to a look-alike site. Don't click. Type the official website address yourself, or call the number on the back of your card. Searching free for real unclaimed money through your state treasury never costs anything.

How to check a program before you share anything

• Ask yourself: did I contact them, or did they contact me out of nowhere?
• Check the web address. Official U.S. government sites end in .gov.
• Find the agency's phone number yourself, on its .gov site or on a letter or card you already have. Don't use a number from the message.
• Search the exact program or company name plus the word "scam" or "complaint."
• Take your time. A real program will still be there after you check.

If you've been targeted

• If you paid, contact the payment company (your bank, gift card company, wire service, or payment app) right away, tell them it was fraud, and ask them to reverse the payment.
• Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. USA.gov's where to report a scam page lists other places to report specific scams.
• If you shared your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan.
• If the scammer pretended to be the IRS or Social Security, you can also report it to that agency through its official site.

Where this site stands

We're an independent informational website, not a government agency, and we can't process applications or send money. We hold ourselves to the same rules we ask you to expect from everyone: no fees, no urgency tactics, and clear labels on every sponsored link. Read how we operate in our advertising disclosure and disclaimers.

Frequently asked questions