Be aware that unscrupulous actors are targeting cities offering help with SAM.gov registrations and renewals.

As a reminder, entities that receive federal grants are required to create an account with the System for Award Management (SAM) - this includes cities that receive federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The federal government does not charge fees to create, renew, or update a SAM.gov account. SAM.gov is a free service provided by the federal government.

Scammers are targeting cities offering help with SAM.gov in hopes of securing payment for a free service or gaining access to sensitive information like banking or login information. Cities who have fallen victim to these services have been charged several hundred dollars.

Common subject lines from scammers create a sense of urgency to act. They may read something like the following:

• “Your Federal Profile is Almost Complete. Immediate Action Required!”
• “Get started with the SAM.gov renewal process online”
• “Update your SAM.gov account before it expires”

Here is an example of an email received by a city in Washington this year:

Other reports have indicated scammers are calling cities directly under the guise of being a federal employee directing cities to pay or provide information to create or update their SAM.gov account.

The federal government will never ask you for payment to create or renew a SAM.gov account. If you need to create or renew your account, visit SAM.gov directly. If you need assistance with your SAM.gov account, you can visit the Federal Service Desk’s (FSD) website at FSD.gov. FSD is also a free federal service.