# Stop the Calls, Part 31: "I'm with the SBA." Then why the bridge loan?

> A caller says he's with the SBA, then pitches a bridge advance. Here's the one-question sort that tells SBA staff, lenders and brokers apart before you give a single number.

By Elie Mendlow · Published November 2, 2026
Section: Brokers & Harassment › Your Rights & the Law · Series: Stop the Calls (https://mcafax.com/notebook/series/stop-the-calls)
Canonical: https://mcafax.com/notebook/stop-the-calls-part-31-sba-call
Source: MCAFax, The Broker's Notebook (https://mcafax.com/notebook). MCAFax is not a lender or a law firm.

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"Good afternoon, Mark calling from the SBA small business funding department. Your shop came up as eligible for the new working capital program, so I just need to confirm a few numbers."

No last name. No office. A "department" that isn't on any SBA page.

Part 31 of Stop the Calls covers the SBA sort, one question that splits this call into three kinds of caller.

This is general information, not legal advice. The call and Fernbrook Auto Glass, the shop below, are made up.

## Why "I'm with the SBA" works

Owners who hang up on "funding specialists" stay on the line for "the SBA."

Outside disaster loans, SBA's loan programs run through approved lenders and partners, not through people calling from the agency. SBA's own [loans page](https://www.sba.gov/loans/) says 7(a) loans are delivered by SBA 7(a) lenders. SBA also says its calls and emails are meant to inform you, not to ask for personal details ([SBA](https://www.sba.gov/blog/2024/2024-03/stay-safe-tips-protect-your-business-scams-targeting-covid-loan-borrowers/)).

## The tactic: the SBA sort

Fernbrook Auto Glass's owner got this call on a Thursday at 2:40 PM. She asked one question first:

"Before we go on, are you an SBA employee, or do you work for a lender or a broker?"

An honest caller answers in one breath. Then do this.

**"I work for the SBA."** Say: "Give me your full name and your office. I'll call the SBA back on the number listed on SBA.gov." The SBA Answer Desk is 1-800-827-5722, per the SBA Inspector General's [scam page](https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/oversight-and-advocacy/office-of-inspector-general/protect-yourself-from-scams-and-fraud/). Never use a number the caller reads to you, the same rule as [Part 20](https://mcafax.com/notebook/stop-the-calls-part-20-funder-renewal).

**"I work for a lender."** Say: "What's the bank's legal name? I'll call its main line." One honest exception: if you filled out SBA's [Lender Match](https://www.sba.gov/loans/lender-match/), interested lenders may reach out to you. [Part 24](https://mcafax.com/notebook/stop-the-calls-part-24-direct-lender) shows how to check whether a "lender" really lends.

**"I'm a broker or consultant."** Ask: "If you get paid on my SBA loan, will your fee go on SBA Form 159, signed by me, you and the lender?" SBA requires a compensation agreement from paid agents ([13 CFR 103.5](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-103)), and [Form 159](https://www.sba.gov/document/sba-form-159-fee-disclosure-compensation-agreement) is how 7(a) and 504 fees get disclosed. A legit agent says yes.

Fernbrook's caller said none of these. "We work with the SBA," he said. "We're a funding partner."

## The turn: the bridge

Then came the pitch. "SBA files take months. While yours processes, we can get you a bridge advance by Friday."

The bridge is the product. The SBA was the door.

The SBA Inspector General flags this exact move. If someone promises to get an SBA loan approved but wants money up front or offers a high-interest bridge loan in the meantime, suspect fraud ([SBA OIG](https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/oversight-and-advocacy/office-of-inspector-general/protect-yourself-from-scams-and-fraud/)).

Fernbrook's owner used the 15-second close:

"I'm not taking a bridge advance. Put this number on your do-not-call list and don't call this line again. What's your full name and your company's legal name?"

He hung up before giving either. She logged "with the SBA, bridge by Friday" word for word in the [call log template](https://mcafax.com/notebook/toolkit/call-log-template).

AI assist: paste the caller's exact words into any AI chat and have it sort each claim into "SBA," "lender," "broker" or "unclear."

## The rules behind the sort

- **Posing as the government.** The FTC bans falsely posing as a government entity or misrepresenting affiliation with one ([16 CFR 461.2](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-461)).
- **Business calls aren't exempt from that part.** Most business-to-business calls fall outside the Telemarketing Sales Rule, but its ban on misrepresenting affiliation with a government entity still applies to them ([16 CFR 310.3(a)(2)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-310/section-310.3) and [16 CFR 310.6(b)(7)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-310/section-310.6)).

- **Agents who claim SBA ties.** Implying you're affiliated with, paid by or employed by SBA is good cause for SBA to suspend or revoke an agent's privilege to do business with it ([13 CFR 103.4](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-103)).
- **Your shop's number.** Business lines aren't covered by the National Do Not Call Registry, which is for personal numbers. Some federal calling rules can still apply, depending on the line and how they dialed ([47 U.S.C. 227](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/227)).

Report SBA-related scams to the [SBA OIG hotline](https://www.sba.gov/loans/report-fraud-identity-theft/) and [ReportFraud.FTC.gov](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/). Nothing here promises an outcome. The [Know Your Rights](https://mcafax.com/notebook/series/know-your-rights) series, the [MCAFax toolkit](https://mcafax.com/notebook/toolkit), our [guide to stopping MCA broker calls](https://mcafax.com/notebook/stop-mca-broker-calls) and the [SBA notebook](https://mcafax.com/notebook/series/sba-7a-playbook) go deeper.

## Your checklist

1. Ask the sort question before you give any number.
2. Call the SBA back only on the number from SBA.gov.
3. Get a lender's legal name and call its main line.
4. Ask any broker about SBA Form 159.
5. End the call when a bridge advance comes up.
6. Log the claim word for word.

Coming in Part 32: the broker who moves the pitch to WhatsApp, and how to shut down a chat-app thread for good.

## Questions readers ask

**Does the SBA call business owners to offer loans?**

Outside disaster loans, SBA's loan programs run through approved lenders and partners. SBA says its calls and emails are meant to inform you, not to ask for personal details. If a caller says he's with the SBA, call back on the number listed on SBA.gov.

**What should I ask a caller who says he's with the SBA?**

Ask whether he's an SBA employee or works for a lender or a broker. Then verify: SBA staff through the number on SBA.gov, a lender through its main line, and a broker by asking

**What is SBA Form 159?**

It's SBA's Fee Disclosure and Compensation Agreement for 7(a) and 504 loans. SBA requires a compensation agreement from paid agents under 13 CFR 103.5, so a broker paid on your SBA loan should expect to sign one with you and the lender.

**Is a bridge advance while my SBA loan processes a red flag?**

The SBA Inspector General says to suspect fraud if someone promises to get an SBA loan approved but wants money up front or offers a high-interest bridge loan in the meantime.

**Can a broker legally claim to be with the SBA?**

The FTC's impersonation rule bans falsely posing as a government entity or misrepresenting affiliation with one (16 CFR 461.2). How it applies to a specific call depends on the facts of the call.