PSATS regularly receives reports of suspicious emails claiming to be related to SAM.gov registration renewals. Many of these notices claim that users must pay hundreds of dollars to renew their information. Rest assured, the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is a 100% free government website! The U.S. government will never send an email requesting payment to register or update information.  

Generally, emails from the federal government will come from a .gov or a .mil email domain. Look at both the sender’s display name and email address to verify its legitimacy. If you are suspicious, do not respond or click on any links. 

Still unsure? The easiest way to verify your township’s SAM.gov registration status is by logging into your account directly and checking the expiration date. Remember, SAM.gov registrations must be renewed annually. When your registration is up for renewal, check out our SAM.gov Walkthrough guide, outlining basic steps to keep your registration active.