Reporting scams

We are aware of a potential scam involving a foundation office in Nairobi, Kenya. Please know that we do not have any office in Nairobi, Kenya, and ask that you report any fraudulent activity to local authorities in Kenya.

If you doubt the authenticity of any type of correspondence claiming to originate from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, please email [email protected]. This alerts the foundation to the potential scam and allows for it to be investigated and remediated, if necessary. Please note: due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we cannot respond to every request.

The foundation is aware of numerous forms of fraudulent correspondence including, but not limited to: email, social media sites, postal mail, fax, and telephone, all claiming to be from, or associated with, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They are circulating in a number of different languages and often include foundation logo, photos, links, or other information taken directly from our official web site, www.gatesfoundation.org.

Unfortunately, scams claiming to be from or associated with the foundation are growing in volume and, in many cases, can be quite sophisticated. Our security team is working with law enforcement to make every effort to stop such scams, but unfortunately, we cannot stop them all.

Please be advised that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, foundation employees, grantees, or partner organizations do not:

  • Request administrative fees for awarding a grant. The foundation's grant-making procedure can be found here.
  • Host internet lotteries or offer prizes of any kind through email, postal mail, telephone, fax, or in person
  • Request registration fees for conferences or summits
  • Request information about bank accounts or other private information
  • Have memberships or request fees for memberships
  • Approach individuals in person offering grant opportunities
  • Solicit donations at any time*
  • Offer investment opportunities

*Our subsidiary, Gates Philanthropy Partners, may solicit and accept donations. For further information see gatesphilanthropypartners.org.  

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.