Recently the The General Service Administration’s Federal Service Desk has been receiving reports from the public that they have been contacted by persons representing themselves to be government officials claiming that in order to qualify for federal grant money they must first send the purported agent either personal information or money or both.
The imposters claim to be with the Community for Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) or a similarly named organization, and not the federally-run Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).
The government’s CFDA does not use social media or direct phone contact to solicit, review, or make awards.
If you are contacted this way, you are advised to pass all information to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (www.ic3.gov) and your local law enforcement authorities. This can also be reported to the GSA Inspector General’s Fraud Line (800-424-5210), via e-mail fraudnet@gsaig.gov, or using the web form at http://www.gsaig.gov/index.cfm/hotline/-hotline-form.
The CFDA homepage now shows the following FAQ:
Q – “What should I do if I receive unsolicited contact from someone claiming to be a CFDA representative?”
A – “The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) program does not use social media or contact individuals by phone to solicit, review, or make awards. Additionally, no government staff will call or message you requesting money in order to be eligible for an award. Please report any information and documentation that you have related to this incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (www.ic3.gov) and your local law enforcement authorities.”
