Report a Scam
If you have encountered a scam, whether or not you lost money, reporting it helps investigators disrupt fraud and warns others. This guide covers what to do first, the official body to contact in your country, and how to report to the platform involved.
First, take these steps
- Stop all contact and paymentsDo not reply, click further links, or send any more money. If a transfer is in progress, try to cancel it.
- Contact your bank or card provider nowCall the number on the back of your card. Ask them to stop or dispute payments and to protect your accounts. Fast reporting improves the chance of recovery.
- Secure your accountsChange passwords for any affected accounts, turn on two-factor authentication, and check for changes to recovery email or phone numbers.
- Preserve the evidenceTake screenshots and keep messages, emails, phone numbers, payment references, and web addresses before deleting anything.
- Report to the right authorityUse the official channel for your country below. Reporting helps investigators and warns others, even if you did not lose money.
Where to report, by country
Reporting details can change. Where possible, open these organisations directly from your government's official portal rather than following links from a suspicious message.
United States
Report fraud federally and, for identity theft, use the dedicated recovery service.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) General fraud, scams, and deceptive practices reportfraud.ftc.gov
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Online crime, investment fraud, business email compromise ic3.gov
- IdentityTheft.gov Identity theft, reporting plus a personal recovery plan identitytheft.gov
United Kingdom
Report fraud to Action Fraud (or Police Scotland in Scotland), and forward scam messages to the free reporting services.
- Action Fraud Fraud and cybercrime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland actionfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040
- Suspicious Email Reporting Service (NCSC) Phishing emails, forward them for takedown report@phishing.gov.uk
- Forward scam texts and calls Suspicious texts and spam calls via your mobile network Forward texts to 7726
Canada
Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your local police.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) Fraud and identity theft reporting nationwide antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca or 1-888-495-8501
- Your local police If you have lost money or are in immediate danger Local non-emergency line (911 for emergencies)
Australia
Report scams to Scamwatch, cybercrime to ReportCyber, and get identity support from IDCARE.
- Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre) Scams of all kinds scamwatch.gov.au
- ReportCyber (ACSC) Cybercrime including online fraud and hacking cyber.gov.au
- IDCARE Identity theft and cyber support (Australia & NZ) idcare.org
New Zealand
Report to CERT NZ and Netsafe; call police 105 for non-emergencies.
Ireland
Report to An Garda SÃochána and contact your bank immediately for financial fraud.
- An Garda SÃochána Fraud and cybercrime, report at your local station garda.ie
- Your bank's fraud line Unauthorised or tricked payments Number on the back of your card
European Union & elsewhere
Contact your national police cybercrime unit or consumer authority; use econsumer.gov for cross-border cases.
- National police / consumer authority Fraud reporting in your country Search your government's official portal
- econsumer.gov Cross-border and international online shopping fraud econsumer.gov
Report to the platform or company
Alongside the authorities above, report the scam where it happened. This helps platforms remove scam accounts, listings, and messages quickly.
Your bank or card provider
Use the fraud number on your card or in your banking app to stop payments, dispute charges, and freeze compromised cards.
Email providers
Use the built-in "Report phishing" or "Report spam" option in Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail so the provider can act on the sender.
Social media platforms
Report fake profiles, hacked accounts, and scam ads through the in-app report tools on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and others.
Marketplaces
Report scam buyers and sellers to eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or the relevant platform so they can remove accounts and listings.
Mobile networks
Forward scam SMS messages to your carrier's spam-reporting short code (7726 in many countries) to help block numbers.
App stores
Report fraudulent or fleeceware apps to the Apple App Store or Google Play so they can be reviewed and removed.
What happens after you report
Watch for follow-up 'recovery' scams
Fraudsters target people who have already lost money by posing as recovery agents, lawyers, or investigators who can 'get it back' for a fee. This is a second scam, ignore it.
Monitor your accounts and credit
Check statements for unfamiliar activity and consider a credit freeze or fraud alert with the credit bureaus if your identity may be exposed.
Keep your report reference
Save any case or reference number. Your bank or insurer may ask for it, and it links future information to your case.
Tell people you trust
Sharing what happened removes stigma and helps friends and family recognise the same scam. Reporting is never something to be ashamed of.