Where to Report
Report this scam to the people who can do something about it.
Even when you can’t recover money, reporting matters. It builds the records that help law enforcement spot patterns and warn the next person.
Financial institutions
Call within the next 30 minutes if money has moved.
- Your bank — fraud lineUse the number on the back of your debit card
- Your credit card issuerUse the number on the back of the card
- Venmo / Zelle / Cash App / PayPalIn-app dispute / fraud report
- Crypto exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance)Report the destination wallet address
- Gift-card retailer (Amazon, Target, Apple)If unredeemed, they can sometimes freeze the card
Federal agencies
These create the records that drive enforcement and warn other consumers.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint CenterThe single most important federal report — cybercrime, phishing, fraud
- Federal Trade CommissionConsumer fraud, scams, identity theft
- Consumer Financial Protection BureauBanking, credit card, lending complaints
- SEC Tips & ComplaintsInvestment and crypto fraud
- U.S. Postal Inspection ServiceMail scams, fake USPS texts
- Social Security OIGSSA / Social Security impersonation
- IRS ImpersonationReports IRS-impersonator scams
- HHS Office of Inspector GeneralMedicare and Medicaid fraud
Credit bureaus — freeze your credit
Free, reversible. Do all three even if only your wallet is missing.
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Platform where the scam reached you
- Email providerGmail / Outlook / Yahoo all have a one-click "Report Phishing" button
- SMS / text messagesForward the message to 7726 (spells SPAM) — free on all major US carriers
- Social media platformMeta, TikTok, X, Instagram all have fraud-specific report categories
- Online marketplaceeBay, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp — report seller and open a dispute
- Dating appHinge / Tinder / Bumble — report profile, screenshot first, then block
Senior / vulnerable adult support
Free counseling, no judgment. They've heard every version of this story.
- AARP Fraud Watch HelplineTrained counselors who specialize in scam aftermath
- National Elder Fraud HotlineDOJ — Mon–Fri
- Adult Protective ServicesFor when an elderly family member is being targeted
International
- Canada — Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
- UK — Action Fraud
- Australia — Scamwatch
Keep records of everything
Screenshots, emails, text threads, transaction IDs, phone numbers, URLs. You will be asked for these by banks, insurers, and law enforcement. Save them to a dedicated folder the day it happens — your memory of details fades fast.