Warning to General Public Regarding Fraudulent Requests

Please be aware that individuals and organizations have been fraudulently acting on behalf of various philanthropic organizations, including Ballmer Group. Scams claiming to be from or associated with Ballmer Group, its founders, and its employees are occurring. Some may be easy to spot, but others are quite sophisticated and require your awareness and caution.

Scammers may reach out via various platforms -- including by email, social media accounts, and telephone – asking you to register for membership to work with Ballmer Group, for bank information, a deposit or cash advance, or other sensitive information. Some impersonate the founders or close friends of the founders and Ballmer Group employees.

Please be advised that Ballmer Group and its employees do not:

• Seek monetary deposits, or cash advances from anyone with whom we propose to work

• Ask for a copy/copies of your personal identification, Passport, or other private information

• Solicit donations, offer investment opportunities, or request funds through social media or via telephone

• Request administrative fees for awarding a grant

• Host internet lotteries or offer prizes of any kind through email, postal mail, telephone, fax, social media, or in person

• Request registration fees for conferences or summits

• Require memberships or request fees for memberships as condition of evaluating grant requests

Ballmer Group’s security is working to stop or curtail scams, but it is unfortunately impossible to stop them all. If you receive any communication that appears to be from Ballmer Group, its founders, or its employees for any type of payment or personal and/or financial information, or if you receive a communication seemingly from Ballmer Group that you feel is suspicious, please report it to your contact at Ballmer Group.

For more information about the Federal Trade Commission's efforts against these kinds of fraud or filing a complaint with the agency, please visit Division of Privacy and Identity Protection and FTC Complaint Assistant.