Scammers posing as government agencies, or even your friends and family, offering free money are once again trying to scam locals, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs warns this week.

“Sometimes it’s an ad that claims you will qualify to receive a ‘free grant’ to pay for education costs, home repairs, home business expenses or unpaid bills. Other times, it’s a phone call supposedly from a ‘government’ agency or some other organization with an official sounding name,” Consumer Affairs stated Monday in a press release. “More recently, scammers impersonate friends and relatives on Facebook, encouraging you to pursue this ‘free money.’ In any case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted and you’ll never have to pay the money back.”

Scammers follow a script — they congratulate you on your eligibility, then ask for your checking account information so they can “deposit your grant directly into your account,” or cover a one-time “processing fee.” The caller may even reassure you that you can get a refund if you’re not satisfied. In fact, you’ll never see the grant they promised; they will disappear with your money.

Some scam artists advertise “free grants” in the classifieds, inviting readers to call a toll-free number for more information. Others are bolder, the division states — they call you out of the blue or use Facebook. They lie about where they’re calling from, or they claim legitimacy using an official-sounding name like “Federal Grants Administration.” They may ask you some basic questions to determine if you qualify to receive a grant.

Restating a universal truth that some of us forget from time to time, the division reminds us that “calls and come-ons for free money invariably are ripoffs.”

The Consumer Affairs Division can be reached at 845-340-3260.