The Ford Foundation and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation have warned the public against falling victim of scammers using their names.
In a joint statement issued in Abuja by the Foundations, they raised the alarm that fraudulent scammers were targeting international philanthropies.
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“We emphatically state that neither the Ford Foundation nor the MacArthur Foundation, solicit donations, administrative fees, or any payment for grant applications. Our organisations are steadfast in promoting transparency, accountability, and social change,” they stated.
The statement signed by ChiChi Aniagolu, regional director, West Africa for the Ford Foundation, and Kole Shettima, co-director, On Nigeria and director, Nigeria Office, MacArthur Foundation, emphasized: “We do not sponsor lotteries or solicit donations; we never request personal banking information from individuals; individuals are not approached for grant opportunities, and grantees are not required to pay insurance, deposits, or any administrative fees for grant funds.”
They warned the public to be very cautious, adding: “Do not send money or provide personal details and avoid clicking on any included links where you are unsure of the source.”
The organisations urged those wishing to apply for grants to the Foundations or learn more about their mission, vision, objectives and ways of working to visit their websites: fordfoundation.org, macfound.org
