How to Avoid Government Contracting Scams

Verify before paying or sharing

Government contracting attracts legitimate advisers and misleading offers. A paid service is not automatically a scam, but a claim that a private fee is required for official SAM registration is a warning sign. Official registration and maintenance are available at no cost.

Check the message

1. 01Navigate independently to the official service.
2. 02Verify registration status and any request in the real account.
3. 03Check the sender, domain, organization, and service terms.
4. 04Reject requests for passwords or authentication codes.
5. 05Be skeptical of guaranteed awards, approval, or government access.

Protect business information

Tax, banking, identity, and account data should be handled through appropriate secure channels. Do not respond to an urgent attachment request without confirming its legitimacy.

Use official help

Consult SAM.gov, Federal Service Desk, and official assistance referrals when uncertain. If information or access may have been compromised, use the affected service's security and recovery process promptly.

Do not let a deadline or official-looking design replace verification. A clear scope, optional fee, and honest adviser relationship are different from an impersonation or a promise to bypass procurement.