Furloughed Feds: Don't Fall for this Scam

As if federal employees had not been targeted enough recently, now scam artists are looking to take advantage of the beleaguered government workforce.

The Federal Trade Commission has posted a warning on its website about a caller who is specifically going after furloughed federal employees. The scammer tells the individual who answers the phone about a “free” government grant specifically designed for that person.

The caller then asks for the individual’s bank account information or asks the fed to pay a fee, in order to get a nonexistent grant, FTC said. If you’ve already been targeted in this ploy, FTC is encouraging you to file a complaint.

So, if you’re at home on furlough and you get a call with an offer that sounds too good to be true, well, that’s probably because it is.