COVID-19 relief loan scams often impersonate the SBA, a lender, or a collection agency to steal personal information, access bank accounts, or deliver malware. An SBA logo or official-sounding message does not prove a communication is genuine. If you have an old PPP or COVID-EIDL loan, a servicing message could be legitimate—but verify it using contact details you find independently, not links or phone numbers in an unsolicited message.
What common COVID-19 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 claim to come from the SBA, a lender, or a collection agency and ask for personal information, direct you to a site that captures banking details, or prompt you to download harmful software. Branding, a display name, and claims of SBA affiliation are not authentication.
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Misleading solicitations have also presented themselves as official or SBA-connected loan help. In a May 14, 2020 joint letter, the FTC and SBA described websites claiming to be authorized SBA loan packagers and offering application help for eligible relief programs for a 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 any named business is currently operating fraudulently.
Be careful with claims about application fees
The 2020 FTC-SBA letter said agents, including lead generators and others helping with PPP applications, were prohibited from charging PPP applicants fees directly or deducting a fee from loan proceeds. That historical warning is specific to its context; do not assume it establishes current rules for every loan or service. For present-day requirements, check current SBA guidance or contact the relevant lender through independently verified details.
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How to check whether an SBA loan email or call is real
Use these checks before replying, clicking, opening an attachment, or sharing information. The SBA’s March 28, 2024 borrower guidance says, “An SBA logo isn’t a guarantee of authenticity.”
- Inspect the sender and the actual destination. SBA says official SBA emails come from addresses ending in
@sba.gov. Be skeptical of other sources, and check the actual website address rather than relying on a logo, display name, or link text. A familiar-looking sender name alone is not enough. - Do not disclose sensitive information in response to suspicious outreach. The SBA advises against sharing personal information such as your Social Security number or address in response to suspicious calls or emails. It also says it will not ask for personal information through third-party platforms.
- Avoid unknown links and unexpected attachments. Do not use an unsolicited message’s link to sign in or provide details. Instead, type the official SBA site address yourself or independently locate the loan portal you already use.
- Initiate contact through a verified channel. Find the lender’s or SBA’s contact details independently on sba.gov or through the official loan portal. For an existing PPP loan, use the PPP portal’s help feature or contact your lender as appropriate. For COVID-EIDL servicing, use the SBA COVID-EIDL servicing resources. Do not rely solely on a callback number supplied by an unsolicited caller.
- Check the request, not just the sender. Ask whether the contact was unsolicited, what information or payment it requests, where its links lead, and whether the same request appears in your official portal or is confirmed by your lender after you contact them independently. These questions help you verify; they are not a scoring system.
The SBA’s advice is: “When in doubt, don’t respond—reach out!” Look up the contact information yourself and ask the lender or SBA customer support whether the communication and request are genuine.
How to distinguish legitimate servicing from a fake new-loan offer
PPP ended on May 31, 2021, but existing borrowers may still have servicing or forgiveness questions. COVID-EIDL servicing also continues. So a message about an old loan is not automatically a scam; the safer test is whether you can confirm it through the official portal or a lender contact you found independently.
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By contrast, treat an unsolicited promise of a new pandemic-era PPP loan with particular caution. The SBA’s COVID-19 relief options page describes the program’s end and directs existing borrowers to servicing and forgiveness routes. Program status and servicing procedures can change, so consult that current SBA page rather than trusting a message that promises new access to a past program.
Where to report suspected SBA loan fraud or identity theft
If you suspect fraud involving an SBA program, use the SBA Office of Inspector General’s official reporting channels. If someone obtained a loan using your identity without permission, SBA also provides a dedicated process for reporting that. Start from the SBA’s Office of Inspector General information and reporting page so you reach the appropriate current form or contact route.
Keep the suspicious email, message, phone number, website address, and any related records if you can do so safely; do not click links or open files to preserve them. Reporting a suspicious message does not by itself establish that a loan or communication is fraudulent, but it gives the relevant agency information to review.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What program fraud estimates do—and do not—tell you
In 2023, the SBA Office of Inspector General said approximately $1.2 trillion in COVID-EIDL and PPP funds had been disbursed. It estimated that more than $200 billion—at least 17 percent of the total—was potentially fraudulent across COVID-EIDL, EIDL Targeted Advance, Supplemental Targeted Advance, and PPP funds. The OIG also reported nearly $30 billion in COVID-EIDL and PPP funds seized or returned to SBA. These are program-level figures; “potentially fraudulent” is an estimate, not proof that every flagged loan was fraudulent or that an individual borrower has been targeted.
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