Scam Involving the Use of NSF’s Name and Likeness

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued this alert regarding fraudulent activities where scammers are falsely representing NSF. These scammers claim individuals have won NSF grant money and can claim it for a fee. It’s important to know that NSF has a well-established merit review process for awarding research and research-related grants and does not provide funds for personal use.

Key points to remember:

• NSF will never make initial contact by phone to notify someone of a grant award.
• NSF will never ask for a fee to claim a grant.
• NSF will never request personal information such as bank account details or Social Security numbers by phone or email.

If you receive any communication that seems suspicious, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission.