The IDA Program scam is a type of advance-fee fraud that impersonates legitimate Individual Development Account (IDA) programs—real U.S. government- or nonprofit-backed savings initiatives designed to help low-income individuals build assets through matched savings for goals like education, homeownership, or starting a business. In the scam, fraudsters contact potential victims via phone, text, email, social media, or messaging apps, falsely claiming the recipient has been "pre-approved" or sele