That 'free' government grant email cost me $50 and a morning of my time

I got a message saying I qualified for a $7,000 relief grant, just needed to pay a small 'processing fee'. Sent the money and spent hours filling out forms before realizing the whole thing was a scam site made to look real. Has anyone else seen this specific hoax going around lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

ross.christopher25d ago

My cousin in Florida fell for that same $7,000 grant pitch last month. Honestly, I'm surprised people still trust emails about free money from the government. They never ask for fees upfront, that's the biggest red flag. It's a brutal lesson but at least it was only fifty bucks and not your whole savings.

hugo_mitchell25d ago

Wait, did your cousin get their money back, @ross.christopher?

the_stella25d ago

My aunt lost two hundred on a fake grant call before we froze her credit. @ross.christopher is right about the fees, but also check the sender's email. It's usually a weird jumble of letters, not a real .gov address. Filing a report with the FTC's website can sometimes help get a partial refund if you act fast.