COVID-19 relief loan scams often impersonate the SBA, a lender, or a collection agency to steal personal information, reach bank accounts, or install harmful software. An SBA logo or official-sounding name does not prove a message is real. PPP ended in 2021, but legitimate servicing of existing PPP and COVID-EIDL loans continues—so verify any message by contacting the SBA or your lender through details you find independently.
What common COVID-19 relief loan scams look like
The SBA warns that scammers target Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (COVID-EIDL) borrowers through phishing calls and emails. A message may pretend to come from the SBA, a lender, or a collection agency and ask for personal information, seek access to a bank account, or direct you to harmful software. Branding is easy to copy; the SBA says, “An SBA logo isn’t a guarantee of authenticity.” Read the SBA’s borrower guidance on avoiding scams.
Some misleading solicitations have claimed to be officially connected to the SBA. In a May 14, 2020 joint warning, the FTC and SBA described a website that claimed to be an authorized SBA loan packager, offered help applying for relief products, and charged a purported fee. A June 22, 2020 FTC letter described a site advertising COVID relief funding and PPP applications while implying SBA affiliation. These are historical examples, not evidence that the businesses named in those letters are currently operating fraudulently. Read the May 2020 FTC-SBA letter and the June 2020 FTC letter.
How to check whether an SBA loan email or call is real
Do not decide based on one signal alone. Check the sender, destination, request, and whether the same matter is confirmed after you contact the lender or SBA independently.
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- Inspect the sender and website address. SBA says official SBA emails come from addresses ending in
@sba.gov. Check the full email address and the actual website domain; a familiar display name, logo, or link text can be misleading. - Notice what the message asks you to do. Be wary of unsolicited requests for sensitive information, bank access, payment, or action through an unexpected link or attachment. Do not disclose personal information such as your Social Security number or address in response to suspicious outreach. SBA says it will not ask for personal information through third-party platforms.
- Look for independent confirmation. Find the SBA or lender contact information yourself on SBA.gov or in the official loan portal. Do not rely solely on a phone number, reply address, or link supplied by an unsolicited caller or email.
- Ask whether the request matches the loan you actually have. A message about servicing an existing loan may be legitimate; an unsolicited promise of a new pandemic-era PPP loan conflicts with the program’s ended status. Verify either kind of message directly with the SBA or your lender.
SBA’s advice is: “When in doubt, don’t respond—reach out!” Use its guidance to verify a message and reach customer support.
What to do if you receive a suspicious message
- Stop before responding. Do not reply, click an unknown link, open an unexpected attachment, share sensitive information, or use a callback number in the message.
- Go to the official channel yourself. Type or independently locate SBA.gov or the official loan portal rather than following the message’s link. For an existing PPP question, use the PPP forgiveness portal’s help feature or contact your lender. For COVID-EIDL servicing, use the SBA portal or COVID-EIDL Customer Service Center listed on the SBA COVID-19 relief options page.
- Confirm the specific request. Contact the SBA or lender using independently sourced details and ask whether the communication and requested action are genuine.
- Report suspected fraud or identity theft. SBA directs people to its Office of Inspector General Hotline for suspected SBA program fraud. If someone obtained an SBA loan using your identity without permission, use the identity-theft reporting process linked from the SBA scam guidance.
Can a COVID-relief loan message be legitimate after PPP ended?
Yes. The SBA says PPP ended on May 31, 2021, but existing borrowers still have servicing and forgiveness routes. COVID-EIDL servicing also continues. A current message about an old loan is not automatically a scam; verify it independently. The SBA’s COVID-19 relief options page describes current routes for existing PPP and COVID-EIDL borrowers. Because servicing procedures can change, use the current SBA page rather than relying on an old email or a third party’s instructions.
Does the SBA charge a fee to apply?
A 2020 joint FTC-SBA letter said agents—including lead generators and others assisting with PPP applications—were prohibited from charging PPP applicants fees directly or taking a fee from loan proceeds. That historical warning is specific to the PPP rules discussed at the time; it should not be treated as a rule for every loan or service today. Verify current program rules through official SBA channels before paying anyone for assistance. The joint letter is available here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why borrower vigilance matters—and what fraud estimates mean
In a 2023 report, the SBA Office of Inspector General said approximately $1.2 trillion in COVID-EIDL and PPP funds had been disbursed. It estimated that over $200 billion—at least 17 percent of the total—was potentially fraudulent, and reported nearly $30 billion in funds seized or returned to SBA. “Potentially fraudulent” is an estimate, not proof that every flagged loan was fraudulent or that any particular borrower has been targeted. See the SBA OIG’s 2023 report.
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