Knowledge is the best defense. Be alert to any such communications you receive – or anything similar – and think carefully before responding to anything that looks like it is coming from the System for Award Management or a government agency.

Alaska PTAC small business clients are reporting alarming new tactics being used by some for-profit firms trying to get them to sign up for services. In one case, a company “cloned” an SBA webpage, to make it appear that the SBA was recommending registration in a specific subcontractor database.  In another example, a firm has been reaching out to “potential subcontractors” claiming to be working on a specific DoD project; further investigation has shown this to be false and fraudulent.

Nontransparent Marketing Tactics. At the same time, small contractors continue to be flooded with official sounding emails, texts, phone calls and even faxes that are part of sophisticated marketing campaigns designed to entice them to sign up for services that they may not want or need.  The so-called “services” involve hefty fees. PTACs regularly hear from business owners who – thinking they are responding to a government official – mistakenly commit to a sales contract they don’t understand and can’t get out of. Worst of all, many of the sales pitches are for substandard services that PTACs provide at no cost.

Contact Alaska PTAC with Concerns: If you have questions or suspicions, feel free to reach out to your local PTAC to discuss them. As with any business decision, do thorough research into qualifications, costs, realistic expectations, and clearly articulated deliverables is the key to determining the right solution for your business.

To receive assistance with any aspect of vendor registration with any government agency at no cost, please feel free to contact your Alaska PTAC.