What it looks like
"Congratulations! You have been approved for a $9,000 Federal Assistance Grant for your home and bills. This money never has to be paid back. To receive it, pay the $250 processing fee with gift cards and confirm your bank account."
An example. Real ones change their wording, amounts and names all the time.
How it works
The offer arrives by phone, text, email or social media, sometimes from a friend's account that has been taken over. It says you qualify for free money for bills, home repairs, school or a business. It may use the name of a real agency, or one that only sounds real, like a 'Federal Grants Department'.
To get the money, you must pay a processing fee, often by gift card or wire, or hand over your bank account number so the grant can be 'deposited'. The fee is the scam, and the bank details may be used to take more. Once you pay, a new fee usually appears.
It fools people because government grants really do exist. But the FTC says the government will not contact you out of the blue about a grant. It will not call, text, email or reach out on social media. Real federal grants are listed for free on an official government website, and you apply for them yourself.
Signs it is fake
- You were 'selected' for a grant you never applied for
- A fee to process, release or deliver the money
- A request for your bank account or Social Security number so the grant can be 'deposited'
- A message on Facebook or Instagram from a friend who says they got one too. Their account may have been taken over.
- Payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency
What to do
- Do not pay a fee, and do not share your bank details.
- If a friend sent the message, call them at a number you know to warn them their account may be hacked.
- To learn about real government benefits and help, start at usa.gov.
If you already clicked, called or paid
- If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank right away.
- If you gave your Social Security number, go to identitytheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Being fooled is not your fault. These messages are made by professionals to look real. Acting quickly is what matters. See what to do if you paid a scammer.
Not sure about a message?
Forward it to Uncle at +1 208 214 0093, or send a screenshot. He tells you plainly what looks wrong. He never asks for passwords or codes, and he never texts first. How it works.
Worried about a parent? With the Family plan, you get a heads up when a likely scam reaches them.
More common scams
Written by the Textuncle team. Last updated October 3, 2026.
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