In light of the emergency assistance available to small businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA is warning disaster loan applicants to be wary of phishing campaigns and scams. These scams involve individuals pretending to be from the SBA or its Office of Disaster Assistance to steal personal information.
One major concern is fake emails targeting applicants of the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, asking them to verify their accounts through a third-party online platform to collect sensitive information.
Be Cautious of Fake Emails Asking for Personal Information
Any genuine communication from the SBA will only come from email addresses ending in sba.gov. Be alert for emails using the SBA logo in fraudulent schemes designed to steal personal information, access banking accounts, or install malicious software on your computer.
The SBA will never use third-party platforms to:
– Actively seek personal information
– Search for or by personal information on these platforms
– “Follow” public users without a waiver
Government Employees Don’t Charge for Recovery Assistance
Federal agencies that provide disaster recovery help will never request a fee to apply for financial assistance, nor do government employees charge for their recovery services.
Tips to Keep an Eye On
Just because an email or webpage has an SBA logo doesn’t mean the information is accurate or endorsed by the SBA. Protect your identity by never sharing your full name, date of birth, social security number, address, phone numbers, email addresses, case numbers, or any other personal information in public comments or responses to third-party emails.
If you get an email asking for personal information, check that the application numbers match your actual application number. Avoid clicking on any links or opening attachments in suspicious emails.
The best way to guard against scams is to treat your personal information as you would money—protect it carefully. Stay alert in safeguarding your data. If you suspect an email is part of a scam targeting the SBA, report it to the Office of Inspector General’s Hotline at 800-767-0385 or online at https://www.sba.gov/COVIDfraudalert.
For more information about scams, visit the SBA’s website at https://www.sba.gov/COVIDfraudalert. If you have questions about the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, you can call the Disaster Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
