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Scams come in many forms: texts, emails, letters, and lots of calls. Scammers plot schemes from tech support scams to fake check scams to try to knock us off balance just long enough to take advantage. They want to get our money and personal information, like account numbers and our Social Security number. How can we fight back? By sharing your story and reporting what happened to the FTC.

Telling your story can help your friends, your family, your community and others avoid those scams. That keeps money in their pockets and their information out of the hands of criminals. And reporting those scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov helps our investigators use your information to build cases against scammers – and helps stop them.

Want to learn more about reporting fraud? Watch this video.

Why report fraud?

Want to learn more about the top fraud reports we’re seeing? Visit ftc.gov/exploredata to check out what people have been reporting.

To stay up to date on scams that could affect your community, sign up for the FTC’s Consumer Alerts.

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Identity Theft
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Avoiding and Reporting Scams
Enorap
November 06, 2020
Why must someone incur a monetary loss & report it to the FTC? People are intelligent to evaluate all of their texts, emails, letters, telephone & cell phone calls. If the message would fall int a 'Probably Scam' category, why couldn't be reported. The FTC at this point is reactive, not proactive.
FTC Staff
November 06, 2020

In reply to by Enorap

You can report anything you think may be a fraud, scam, or bad business practice, even if you did not lose money. 

Report something whether you think it’s a scam, or know it is. If you’re not happy about a business practice, tell the FTC. The FTC and its law enforcement partners enforce a variety of laws. Your report makes a difference and can help law enforcers spot problems.

Fred V. Magbanua
November 09, 2020

In reply to by Enorap

Keep secure persoanal information...
slhsc
November 06, 2020
I just filed a complaint against MyLife.com. A friend of mine received a phone call from them stating that her "reputation was at risk". She did not know who they were, so found them online and was horrified at what she found. She sent an email to everyone she knows including me about this site. I did the same using my name and my disabled veteran husband's name and we too were horrified! This site gives ALL of your personal and financial information and I mean ALL! We also found ourselves connected to spouses of 39 years ago and all of THEIR relatives that we do not know! This association with these ex-spouses and THEIR relatives including CRIMINAL HISTORIES by them and tied to US! Anyone can log on to this website, type in your name and steal your identity with one click! This site needs to be shut down as negligent and grievous. This is an opportunity for ID thieves to steal your identity so easily it almost made me vomit!
azure
November 06, 2020
Been there, done it at least 3 times over the past ten years. Never heard from the FTC, never heard that any of the spammers, et al, had been prosecuted. So, tell me what the point of my reporting it was?
FTC Staff
November 10, 2020

In reply to by azure

If you give your email when you submit a report, you'll get a response from the FTC with information to help you respond to the problem you reported. 

The FTC isn't able to give updates on reports that have been filed or respond to each report individually. If the FTC files an enforcement action and gets money back for people, the agency will try to contact those who filed reports, as well as others who lost money.

Learn more about the FTC resonse system by reading these FAQs about ReportFraud.FTC.gov.

BytheSea
November 06, 2020
Is the FTC interested in phone numbers and names that appear on Caller I.D. even if we don't answer those calls? As a result, we have no evidence of attempted fraud to report. Nevertheless, these calls are annoying! Often we'll see names on Caller I.D. that appear one time only. Other times, the same name will appear several times a day for several days. Another recent trend has been use of phone numbers on our landline's Caller I.D. that display the same first three numbers as those common to our area or the first three numbers of our family plan mobile phones. Even our own names and phone numbers have appeared on Caller I.D.! Is there a way to trace these, or is it pointless to try?
FTC Staff
November 10, 2020

In reply to by BytheSea

Yes, please report those unwanted calls, even if you don't answer. 

When you file a report, choose the category "Just An Annoying Call." You can use the streamlined form to report an unwanted call like an illegal robocall. The form has some extra questions that could help the FTC bring cases, but you can choose how much information you give. 

The FTC collects the phone numbers people report and releases them each business day. This helps telecommunications carriers and other industry partners that are building call blocking tools based on databases of phone numbers that have been reported as the source of illegal calls.

Clifford Bos
November 06, 2020
I received a call today saying that a $1000 charge was may to card on file with Amazon. I was told by a robatel to dial a 1 than a 2 to clear up this possible false charge. A live person came on line and wanted information I said I would call Amazon and they hung up.
FTC Staff
November 10, 2020

In reply to by Clifford Bos

You can report that at www.ReportFraud.FTC.gov. 

Lady of the Lake
November 10, 2020
My identity was stolen and the fraud is ongoing.. thieves changed my address online with USPS. USPS change of address needs additional safeguards against this
FTC Staff
November 10, 2020

In reply to by Lady of the Lake

You can report that at www.ReportFraud.FTC.gov.

jcamp71268
November 10, 2020
what is the customer reports the fraud to the police and a report is filled? If filed with the FTC, is the bank legally obligated to remove the collection?
FTC Staff
November 13, 2020

In reply to by jcamp71268

No, the FTC will not share any information you give us with the company you file a report about.

When you report something, your information goes into a secure online database that’s available to local, state, and federal law enforcement. 

jcamp71268
November 23, 2020

In reply to by FTC Staff

apologies, I don't think I was clear. The scenario is: person has filed a police report and filed a letter claiming fraud with the FTC. Then that person mails the report and letter to the bank demanding the item be removed from the credit report. He also files a notice with the credit bureaus and uses his police report and FTC filing as documentation. Is the bank required to remove the item even though they are 100% positive it wasn't fraud?
FTC Staff
November 23, 2020

In reply to by jcamp71268

If you file an identity theft report at www.IdentityTheft.gov, you will create an FTC Identity Theft Report.

You can send a copy of the Identity Theft Report to a credit bureau to ask it to remove fraudulent information from your credit report. Credit bureaus must honor that request when you have an Identity Theft Report. Read more on this page.

If someone misused one of your existing accounts, or opened a new account in your name, you can send a letter to the company. There are sample letters on this page of Identity Theft Recovery Steps.

 

Kriss
November 11, 2020
I’m glad they got caught up with because they kept on trying to get me to join but I had a feeling something wasn’t right. So glad I didn’t join thanks for catching these crooks
Christine Burke
November 11, 2020
I just received a call from someone who said he was from social security and that they have located a vehicle abandoned in Texas affiliated with my social security number. The call came in on a local line. You could tell he was a scam artist however he did have my name. I told him I was reporting this phone call
lar 69
December 28, 2020
Had a phone call from mega million sweepstakes c/w manitoba lotteries lnforming me I had won$845.000 can from an entry at shoppers drug mart } did not shop there] and if I bank transfered $1286.57 they would deliver the cheque to my address . I informed them that they could send the cheque to me via can post as registered letter but they have not contected me as yet Definatly a NO.
Leah
March 19, 2021
I received a call from a woman posing as a representative of social security administration out of Texas (of all places) who informed that my social security number and account were suspended. I already know that SS is out of DC, MD or PA and like the IRS would not call you, but would send correspondence if there were issues or notifications. She then asked for my name, and I told the so called "SS representative" that if she was calling about my SS account then she should have all relevant information about me. She then said you are in NJ? I said no New York (lol) and told her I knew this was a scam....she immediately hung up. I immediately filed a fraud complaint on the website of the OIG. The tables were turned on these scammer.
Cynical
July 07, 2021
I find it impossible to believe reporting does anything at all. The scam calls are endless, absolutely endless. The more I try to do something about them, the more of them I get.
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