Individuals have been fraudulently posing online, in emails, text messages, messaging apps, and on social media as “representatives” of The Kresge Foundation. These individuals are using the foundation’s name without authorization and have contacted people to suggest that funds may be forthcoming if personal identification and financial information or funds are provided.

These messages are fraudulent and were most recently reported in March 2025. They are an Internet scam and an illegal misrepresentation of the foundation and our grantmaking work.

The Kresge Foundation and its employees do not:

• Sponsor lotteries of any kind.
• Solicit donations of any kind.
• Ask for personal information, such as your Social Security number or an online account password.
• Approach individuals offering grant opportunities or scholarships.
• Require/request grantees to pay insurance, deposits, or delivery and administrative fees for grant funds.
• Request funds through email, text, phone or social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Instant Messenger.
• Offer investment opportunities.
• Request conference fees or fees to apply for jobs.
• Ask you to click a link to resolve a problem, win a prize or access a service.

Also, be aware of any communications that:

• Claim to be from a government agency. According to the FCC, government bodies rarely initiate contact with someone by phone or text.
• Offers coronavirus-related testing, treatment or financial aid, or requests personal data for contact tracing.

If you receive any form of communication that appears to be from Kresge requesting any payment or personal and/or financial information, or if you receive a communication seemingly from the foundation that you feel is suspicious, please disregard that communication. We would appreciate it if you could report any fraudulent communications to us at [email protected]. Please be sure to share the fraudulent communications and screen shots with us.

If you suspect you have received a fraudulent text message (known as “smishing”), please take the following steps:

• If you think the text might concern a genuine problem, contact the company or organization that supposedly sent it using a phone number or website you know to be legitimate.
• Forward spam and scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), the mobile industry’s spam reporting service. This sends the text to your carrier so it can investigate. Cybersecurity company Norton has a guide to the process.
• Consider using tools that filter or block unwanted messages or unknown senders:
  • Your mobile device may have built-in spam protection. Check the settings on its messaging app.
  • Most major wireless carriers offer call-blocking services.
  • Some call-blocking apps also filter out junk texts.
• Don’t provide personal or financial data in response to an unsolicited text or at a website the message links to.
• Don’t click on links in suspicious texts. They could install malware on your device or take you to a site that does the same.
• Don’t reply, even if the message says you can “text STOP” to avoid more messages. That tells the scammer or spammer your number is active and can be sold to other bad actors.
• Please don’t assume a text is legitimate because it comes from a familiar phone number or area code. Spammers use caller ID spoofing to make the text appear from a trusted or local source.

Furthermore, you can also report these scams and fraudulent communications to the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov)  or the FBI (www.ic3.gov/complaint).  The website of CTIA, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing the U.S. wireless industry, has lists of Android and Apple devices apps that block robocalls and spam texts.