Public should watch out for common red flags
The World Bank Group has seen an increase in the volume and sophistication of scams using names of the institutions of the World Bank Group (IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID), its individual/group logos and letterhead, and impersonating its employees to defraud people out of money or steal their identities. We recommend that people who believe that they have been targeted by such scams contact the appropriate law enforcement agencies in their location.
The World Bank Group today issued a list of common red flags that could indicate malicious intent.
Social media and Email scams
Promises of grant financing or recovered money: The institutions part of World Bank Group are owned by their member countries. The World Bank Group only works with governments and firms, and we do not offer grants, loans, or credit cards to the general public. If you see a message with such promises, it is a scam.
Requests for payment: If you get a message claiming to be from the World Bank Group or a person claiming to represent the Bank Group asking you to send money to the sender, it is fraudulent. The World Bank Group does not ask individuals for funds.
Offers of employment: Scammers have begun requesting payment as part of fraudulent job offers with the World Bank Group. We do not seek payment for employment.
Dot com scams: The institutions part of the World Bank Group are international organizations, so all of the email addresses and sites used by their employees end in .org. If you receive an email purporting to be from an affiliate of the World Bank Group (IBRD, IDA, IFC, MIGA, ICSID) and it ends in .com, the sender is likely trying to trick you. Similarly, if you receive an email asking you to click on a URL that ends in .com, it probably isn’t from the World Bank Group.
Personal notes from actual Executives: Many fraudulent offers claim to be from Senior Management or other employees of the World Bank Group, and, in some cases, the names and titles included in their communications will be correct. This is yet another way that scammers try to lure in potential victims.
Social media posts or videos: Be wary of social media posts or AI-generated videos that mimic the World Bank Group’s branding or executives with similar messages as above, such as offering money or requesting personal data. The World Bank Group does not extend loans and other credit lines to individuals.
Misspellings: See misspellings or grammatical mistakes? These typically are signs of a scam. Take extra caution and review the message for other red flags.
Requests for personal information: The World Bank Group does not ask private citizens for passwords, Social Security numbers, or bank account information. Ever.
Phone/Text/Letter scams
Money offers: The World Bank Group does not call, text or mail letters to individuals with offers of free money or credit lines. If you receive such a message, it is not legitimate.
Asking for personal information: As noted above, the World Bank Group will not reach out to private citizens and request passwords, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or other information.
Suspect links: If you see a text claiming to be from the World Bank Group with any of the suspicious signs above, and it requests you click on a link, assume it is a scam.
Background noise: Many scams operate out of noisy call centers so fraudsters can phone as many people as possible. This is another red flag that the caller is likely not from the World Bank Group.
The World Bank Group is cautioning the public to be wary of these and other similar solicitations that falsely claim to be affiliated with the World Bank Group or any member of the World Bank Group (the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, the International Development Association, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes). Rest assured that the World Bank Group does not solicit money, personal information or bank account information from individuals nor extends any loans or credit lines to individuals. If you suspect being targeted by scammers, please contact local law enforcement authorities.
Last Updated: Nov 14, 2025