LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Children and Family Services (CFS) has been made aware of a scam targeting Nebraskans that involves Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds. The scam involves a scammer calling a person claiming that they won a Social Services Block Grant award yet must pay a transaction fee to receive the award. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) outlined the details of this scam in this public notice to states and territories.
According to the ACF Office of Community Services, the perpetrators of this scheme misrepresent themselves as federal agents and contact individuals claiming they won an SSBG award but must pay a transaction fee to claim the award. In some cases, the targets of the fraudulent activity report having paid out amounts totaling $1000 in credit card payments or more. Most of the individuals affected have incomes that are fixed or limited. Repayment of these debts presents additional hardship to a population already facing difficult circumstances.
