How to Report a Scam to the FTC

If you've been targeted by a scam — whether or not you lost money — reporting it helps the FTC investigate fraud and warn others. Takes 5 minutes online.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov
2.Select the type of scam
3.Provide details about the scammer
4.Report the dollar amount lost
5.Contact your financial institution if money was sent

Go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov

~15s

Open a browser and go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Click "Report Now." The site guides you through a short series of questions about what happened.

Select the type of scam

~15s

Choose the category that best matches your experience: phone call, online, text message, email, impostor, or other. You will be directed to the most relevant set of follow-up questions.

Provide details about the scammer

~17s

Enter the phone number that called, the email address, the website, or any other identifying information. Include what they said, what company they claimed to represent, and how they wanted payment.

Quick Tip

Check your recent calls or messages to find the exact number or email before starting the form.

Report the dollar amount lost

~15s

If you sent money, enter the amount and the payment method (gift card, wire, bank transfer, etc.). If you lost nothing, still submit the report — attempted scam data is valuable.

Contact your financial institution if money was sent

~17s

If you sent money, call your bank or credit card company immediately. Report it as fraud. For wire transfers, speed matters — notify within 24 hours for the best chance of recovery. For gift cards, contact the card issuer (Google, Apple, Amazon) and file a claim.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Report a Scam to the FTC

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Reporting scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is one of the most effective things you can do after being targeted by fraud. The FTC collects millions of reports per year and uses them to investigate fraud operations, pursue legal action against scammers, and issue warnings to the public.

You should report even if you did not lose money. Reports of attempted scams (where you hung up and did not send anything) are just as valuable for tracking trends as reports from victims who lost money.

Where to report

: - FTC online: ReportFraud.ftc.gov — the primary fraud reporting site. Easy form, takes about 5 minutes. - FTC by phone: 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), Monday–Friday 9 AM–8 PM ET - FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): IC3.gov — for online fraud (email scams, online shopping fraud, ransomware) - AARP Fraud Watch Network: 1-877-908-3360 — free fraud counseling and reporting assistance, even if you are not an AARP member - State Attorney General: Search "[Your State] Attorney General report scam" to find your state-specific reporting page

Information to have ready

: date and time of contact, phone number or email address of the scammer, company or agency they claimed to represent, payment method demanded, and how much money was lost (if any).

If you lost money, also contact your bank, credit card company, or payment service immediately. Some losses can be reversed if reported quickly.

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