Where to Report a Scam: Which Agency, and Can You Get Money Back?

If you lost money to a scam, report it first to the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire company or crypto exchange that moved the money, and do it right away. That company is usually the one that can stop or reverse your payment. Then report the scam to the government agency that matches what happened: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov for most scams, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for online crime, and the specialist agencies below for mail, tax, Social Security, Medicare, investment and elder fraud.

Be realistic about what a report does. The FTC says on its reporting site, "We can't resolve your individual report, but we use reports to investigate and bring cases." The IC3 says, "You will not hear from the IC3." Reports build cases and warn others. In a narrow set of fast-reported transfers, an IC3 report can help the FBI freeze money before it disappears.

Information last verified on October 2, 2026. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide covers federal reporting channels in the United States (FTC, FBI, CFPB, SEC, CFTC, Postal Inspection Service, IRS and TIGTA, Social Security, FCC, Medicare and HHS, Department of Justice), plus how to find your state attorney general, state securities regulator and Adult Protective Services office. It does not cover state-by-state complaint procedures, private lawsuits, or reporting outside the US. For the legal rules on getting a payment reversed, see how to get money back after a scam.

The short answer: reporting and getting money back are two different things

Reporting a scam to a government agency and getting your money back are separate tracks, and most people need both. The money track runs through the company that processed your payment. The reporting track runs through the agencies, which use reports to build cases, spot trends and warn the public.

The FTC lays out this order itself. Its guide for people who paid a scammer starts with the payment company for every payment method, and only then sends people to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC also says plainly: "If you paid a scammer, your money might be gone already. But it's always worth asking the company you used to send the money if there's a way to get it back."

Speed matters on both tracks. The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report says: "If you discover a fraudulent transfer, time is of the essence. Immediately, contact your financial institution and request a recall of the funds along with any necessary indemnification documents."

Step 1 if money moved: report to the payment company

Before you fill out any government form, contact the company your money went through. The FTC's instructions, as written on its "What To Do if You Were Scammed" page (June 2026), are:

Two notes on that table. For gift cards, the FTC adds: "Keep the gift card and the receipt, if you have it. You may need them to follow up on your claim." For crypto, the FTC warns that "Cryptocurrency payments don't have the same legal protections as credit and debit cards do, so it can be hard to get your money back."

Your legal rights against the bank depend on how you paid and whether the payment counts as "unauthorized." For electronic transfers, a bank's error-resolution duties under Regulation E apply to a notice of error the bank receives "no later than 60 days after the institution sends the periodic statement" on which the problem first appears (12 C.F.R. § 1005.11(b)(1)(i)). The full rules, by payment method, are in our guide to getting money back after a scam and, for app payments, Zelle and payment app scams.

Pro tip: If your bank or payment app turns down your fraud claim, you can submit a complaint about it to the CFPB. The CFPB sends complaints to companies for a response, and it says most companies respond within 15 days.

Where to report a scam: match the agency to what happened

Use this table to find the right agency after you have contacted your payment company. Many scams fit more than one row; reporting to more than one agency is normal.

Not sure where your scam fits? USAGov runs a "where to report a scam" tool at usa.gov/where-report-scams, which it says "helps you find the best agency or organization to report the scam."

What each agency actually does with your report

FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov

The Federal Trade Commission is the default place to report a scam. You can report online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or by calling the Consumer Response Center at 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). The FTC describes itself as "the nation's consumer protection agency" and says it "collects fraud reports about companies, business practices, identity theft, and violations of the National Do Not Call Registry."

The reporting site is direct about its limits. It says: "Your report is shared with over 2,000 law enforcers. We can't resolve your individual report, but we use reports to investigate and bring cases against fraud, scams, and bad business practices." After you report, the site gives you next steps for protecting yourself.

Reports go into the Consumer Sentinel Network, which the FTC describes as "a secure online database that the FTC makes available to international, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners." The FTC also uses reports to "spot trends," "educate the public" and "share data about what is happening in your community."

There is one direct link to money recovery. The FTC says it "refers consumer reports involving high dollar losses received through its www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov website and call center that meet certain criteria to the FBI IC3 RAT when the consumer agrees to the referral." In 2024, it referred almost 700 reports that way.

The FTC's authority to go after scammers comes mainly from Section 5 of the FTC Act, which declares that "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, are hereby declared unlawful" (15 U.S.C. § 45(a)(1)). In fiscal year 2025, the FTC reported 40 law enforcement actions and more than $1.8 billion in redress for consumers. That redress comes from FTC cases against companies, not from processing individual reports.

FTC: IdentityTheft.gov

If a scammer got your Social Security number or other personal information and used it, report it at IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC calls it "the federal government's one-stop resource for identity theft victims." You answer questions about what happened, and the site builds a personal recovery plan. If you create an account, it tracks your progress and pre-fills forms and letters for you.

If you gave a scammer your Social Security number but are not sure it was used, the FTC points you to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach instead. The site also carries a warning worth noting: "It is illegal to knowingly file a false identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission." Our guide on how to report identity theft walks through the next steps, including a credit freeze or fraud alert.

FBI: Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

The IC3 at ic3.gov is "the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime" and is run by the FBI. It encourages you to "file a report even if you are unsure of whether your complaint qualifies."

Set expectations before you file. The IC3's FAQ says: "You will not hear from the IC3. The IC3 does not conduct investigations and, therefore, is not able to provide the investigative status of a previously filed complaint. Investigation and prosecution are at the discretion of the receiving agencies." Its home page adds: "While we cannot guarantee a response to every complaint, your report is still valuable," because it "allows the FBI to investigate reported crimes, track trends and threats, and, in some cases, even freeze stolen funds."

A few practical rules from the IC3 FAQ:

• Save your copy. "This is the only time you will be able to retain a copy of your complaint." The IC3 will not email it to you.
• You cannot cancel or edit a complaint. "You need to file a new complaint to report new information."
• No attachments. The IC3 does not collect evidence. Keep your originals; "If an agency opens an investigation, they may request the information directly from you."
• Anyone affected can file, "including citizens of another country," and you "may also file on behalf of another person."
• Tell the truth. The form warns that false information could bring a fine or imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

The IC3 notes that time-sensitive matters should go to local police directly, and that non-cyber tips such as terrorism threats go to tips.fbi.gov.

The IC3 Recovery Asset Team: the one report that can freeze money

The FBI's Recovery Asset Team (RAT), established in 2018, "streamlines communications with financial institutions and FBI field offices to assist in the freezing of funds for victims of fraudulent domestic and international transactions." It works through what the FBI calls the Financial Fraud Kill Chain.

According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, the RAT worked 3,900 incidents in 2025 involving $1,163,919,846 in attempted theft, and froze $679,013,183, which the FBI reports as a "58% Success Rate." For people 60 and older, it worked 642 incidents and froze $32,865,655.

Read those numbers carefully. They describe the incidents the RAT acted on, not the odds for every scam victim. The FBI's advice is: "Regardless of the amount lost, file a complaint at www.ic3.gov. Be sure to include the full transaction details in your report." The report says transaction details assist that process "when complaints are filed as quickly as possible." The FBI pages we reviewed do not publish a dollar minimum or a deadline for RAT eligibility.

CFPB: problems with your bank or payment company

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes complaints about financial products and services at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. It says: "Each week we send more than 100,000 complaints about financial products and services to companies for response. If another agency would be better able to assist, we'll send it to them and let you know." It adds that "Most companies respond within 15 days."

The CFPB is the right route when the problem is the financial company itself, for example a bank or app that refused your fraud claim. Online filing usually takes less than 10 minutes. You can also file by phone at (855) 411-2372 (TTY/TDD (855) 729-2372), 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

Include everything the first time. The CFPB warns that "you generally can't submit a second complaint about the same problem." It shares complaints with other state and federal agencies and publishes complaint data without information that directly identifies you.

Investment scams: SEC, CFTC, FINRA and state regulators

Investment scams were the largest category of reported losses in 2025 for both the FTC and the FBI, and they have their own regulators.

• SEC. The Securities and Exchange Commission takes tips and complaints through its online Tips, Complaints and Referrals (TCR) system, which covers Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, high-yield investment programs, theft or misappropriation of funds or securities, and similar fraud. If you file online, "you will receive a notice confirming that your submission has been received successfully and providing the submission number for your records."
• CFTC. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission accepts reports through a complaint form at cftc.gov/complaint or by phone at 866-FON-CFTC (866-366-2382). Its reparations program "provides an inexpensive, impartial, and efficient forum for customer complaints against futures industry professionals." That forum is limited to CFTC-registered professionals.
• FINRA. FINRA says: "We investigate complaints against brokerage firms and their employees," and that it "can take disciplinary actions against those who violate the rules." It also says its "Enforcement teams are authorized to take actions that may include financial restitution for investors." FINRA's reach is brokerage firms and their employees. A fake crypto platform or a stranger met on social media is generally outside it.
• State securities regulators. NASAA's contact-your-regulator page lists "contact information for state and provincial securities regulators."

U.S. Postal Inspection Service: mail fraud and mailed cash

Report mail fraud, including sweepstakes and romance scams that use the mail, at uspis.gov/report or 1-877-876-2455. The Postal Inspection Service says, "Our Investigation starts with your report." If you mailed cash to a scammer, call that number immediately: the FTC says that "For a fee, they can intercept the package," which lets you redirect a domestic shipment that has not been delivered.

For suspicious texts or emails pretending to be USPS, the Postal Inspection Service says to forward them to spam@uspis.gov. For a crime in progress, it says to call 911.

IRS impostors: TIGTA and phishing@irs.gov

The IRS says: "We never call to demand payment now, threaten arrest or inform you of a refund." If you get a suspicious IRS-related call, the IRS says to record the number, hang up, and report it to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) hotline at 800-366-4484.

For a suspicious IRS or Treasury text, the IRS says not to reply or click, and to send phishing@irs.gov the sender's phone number and message contents, your phone number, and the date, time and time zone you received it, with the subject line "Text." For a fake IRS social media account, send the account's full URL to the same address with the subject "Social media." See our guide to tax identity theft if someone filed a return in your name.

Social Security scams: SSA Office of the Inspector General

The SSA Office of the Inspector General takes reports at oig.ssa.gov/report if you "receive a suspicious call, letter, text, or email about an alleged problem with your Social Security number, account, or payments." It says providing the information is voluntary and that it may use it to investigate alleged fraud. When we checked on October 2, 2026, the site displayed a notice that technical issues "may affect some users' ability to submit scam reports."

Robocalls and spam texts: FCC and 7726

For an unwanted text, the FTC lists three ways to report it: forward the message to 7726 (SPAM), report it in your messaging app, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FCC takes complaints about unwanted calls and texts at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov, and says a complaint helps it "identify trends" and contributes "to federal enforcement and consumer protection efforts on a national scale."

The FCC also offers a lighter "tell your story" option. Know the difference: "Telling us your story is not the same as filing a complaint. Your story will not be served on your provider and you will not hear back from the FCC." Our TCPA guide explains the federal robocall law and when you can sue.

Medicare fraud: 1-800-MEDICARE and HHS-OIG

If you suspect Medicare fraud, Medicare says to call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare drug plan, you can also call the I-MEDIC contractor at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379). Medicare adds that it "will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home."

You can also report to the HHS Office of Inspector General online. HHS-OIG is candid: "Every report we receive is important, however, not every submission results in an investigation. Due to the high volume of complaints we receive, it is not possible to contact every complainant."

Fraud against people 60 and older

The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, with English, Spanish and other languages available. It is "a free resource created by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office for Victims of Crime for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older." The DOJ says: "You will reach a case manager who will help you through the reporting process at the federal, state, and local levels."

Adult Protective Services (APS) is a separate, state-run route. A federal fact sheet describes APS as "a social service program authorized by law in every state to receive and investigate reports of elder or vulnerable adult maltreatment and to intervene to protect the victims to the extent possible," and its work covers financial exploitation. APS "can differ from state to state and even from county to county," and whether a scam by a stranger qualifies depends on your state's rules. "All states accept voluntary reports, allow for anonymous reports, and provide good-faith reporters with legal protections." To find your local office, use NAPSA's help in your area page or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

Your state attorney general

State attorneys general enforce state consumer protection laws. The FTC tells people who lost money to a refund or recovery scam to report it to their state attorney general as well as the FTC, and the IRS says you can "contact the office of consumer protection with your state attorney general" about scam letters. According to the National Association of Attorneys General, some attorney general offices offer a mediation service, which depends on the voluntary cooperation of both the consumer and the business. Because it depends on the business cooperating, mediation fits a dispute with a real business better than one with an anonymous scammer.

Local police

The FTC's guide for people who paid a scammer does not list a police report among its steps. Federal agencies do point to local police in two situations: the IC3 says to "contact local law enforcement directly if you believe your matter is time sensitive," and the Postal Inspection Service and HHS-OIG both say to call 911 for an active crime or an emergency.

BBB Scam Tracker is not a government agency

BBB Scam Tracker is run by the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, a private, non-government organization. The BBB says it "reviews each report before it is published," adds verified reports to a public database "where anyone can search them," and never displays your name or contact information publicly. It can help warn other people. It is not a law enforcement report and does not replace reporting to the FTC or IC3.

Will reporting a scam get my money back?

Usually not by itself. The FTC says it cannot resolve individual reports, the IC3 says you will not hear from it, and HHS-OIG says not every report leads to an investigation. The money track is the payment company, and the sooner you contact it, the more options it has.

Reports still matter, in three ways:

1. Freezing funds. A fast IC3 complaint with full transaction details can feed the FBI's Recovery Asset Team, which froze $679,013,183 in 2025 on the incidents it worked. The FTC can refer high-loss reports to that team when you agree.
2. Building cases. The FTC uses reports to investigate and bring cases, and its enforcement work produced more than $1.8 billion in consumer redress in fiscal year 2025.
3. A paper trail. A report number and a saved copy of your complaint give you a dated record of what happened, which you can share with your bank, a regulator or a lawyer.

If a federal court later convicts the scammer, the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act generally requires the court to order restitution for fraud offenses (18 U.S.C. § 3663A), but that depends on a prosecution and conviction happening first, and an order is not the same as a payment. Our scams and fraud hub covers when a lawyer can help and the free routes to legal help.

What to include in a scam report

The FBI says its "ability to address your complaint will be based upon the accuracy and completeness of the information provided." Gather these before you file, and keep the originals somewhere safe:

• Your contact details: name, address, phone and email.
• The money trail: account information, the date and amount of each transaction, who received the money, and the total loss. The FBI stresses "full transaction details."
• The scammer's details: any name, address, phone number, email, website, social media account, or IP address they used.
• What happened, step by step: how they first contacted you, what they said, and what they asked you to do.
• The messages themselves: emails with full headers, texts (with the sender's number, date, time and time zone), chat transcripts, call logs, screenshots of web pages, letters, envelopes and mail receipts.
• Payment proof: receipts, bank statements, and for gift cards, the card and its receipt.
• Report numbers from every company and agency you have already contacted.

Two warnings from the agencies. The IC3 will not send you a copy of your complaint later, so save or print it before you close the page. The CFPB says you generally cannot file a second complaint about the same problem, so include everything the first time.

Reporting a scam in Spanish and other languages

Several official channels work in Spanish:

• FTC: ReporteFraude.ftc.gov is the Spanish version of ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the reporting site also offers Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, French, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
• Identity theft: RobodeIdentidad.gov is the Spanish version of IdentityTheft.gov. For other languages, the FTC says to call 877-438-4338 and press 3; interpreters are available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
• Elder fraud: the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) lists English, Spanish and other languages.
• Investment fraud: the SEC has a Spanish-language tips page ("Enviar un Dato - Recursos en Español"), and FINRA's help page links its "Centro de Reclamo para el inversionista."

Scams aimed at Spanish speakers have their own patterns; see our guide to phone scams targeting Spanish speakers and to notario fraud.

Watch out: fake agents and "recovery" offers after you report

People who have just lost money are prime targets for a second scam. The FTC calls refund and recovery scams "the worst of the worst," and explains that "Scammers buy lists of people who've paid scammers. They call it a 'sucker list.'" A recovery scammer "may say they're with a government agency, a consumer advocacy group, a law firm, or some other organization."

The agencies you report to have each warned about impostors using their names:

• FTC: "The FTC will never threaten you, say you must transfer your money to 'protect it,' or tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold and give it to someone. That's a scam."
• IC3: "The IC3 does not work with any non-law enforcement entity, such as law firms or crypto services, to recuperate lost funds or investigate cases. The IC3 will never directly contact you for information or money."
• FBI (2025 public service announcement): "There are no law firms which are officially authorized partners of US Government agencies." An earlier FBI alert adds: "Law enforcement does not charge victims a fee for investigating crimes."
• National Elder Fraud Hotline: the DOJ reports scammers claiming to be from the hotline and "threatening to file suits" against the people they call.

The FTC's rule of thumb is: "Government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money to help you get a refund. They will never ask for your financial account numbers or other personal information and will not guarantee that you'll get your money back."

Federal rules back this up. The FTC's Government and Business Impersonation Rule makes it an unfair or deceptive practice to "materially and falsely pose as, directly or by implication, a government entity or officer thereof" (16 C.F.R. § 461.2(a)). And the Telemarketing Sales Rule bars sellers and telemarketers from charging a fee for services "represented to recover or otherwise assist in the return of money or any other item of value paid for by, or promised to, that person in a previous transaction, until seven (7) business days after such money or other item is delivered to that person" (16 C.F.R. § 310.4(a)(3)). Two limits on that rule: it "shall not apply to goods or services provided to a person by a licensed attorney," and it covers telemarketing, so it does not reach every recovery pitch.

Watch out: If someone contacts you out of the blue about your scam, do not call back the number they give you. The FTC says to look up the agency's number yourself, then call to confirm. If you were approached by an IC3 impostor, the IC3 asks you to file a complaint that includes the website link. Report a recovery scam to the FTC and your state attorney general.

How many people report scams

The numbers show both how common scams are and how much goes unreported.

FTC, 2025. In 2025, consumers submitted 3 million fraud reports to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network and reported $15.9 billion in losses, up from 2.6 million reports and over $12 billion in 2024. Impostor scams drew over 1 million reports and over $3.5 billion in losses. Investment scams caused the largest losses, over $7.9 billion, roughly half of all reported fraud losses. Bank payments carried the highest total reported losses by payment method, followed by cryptocurrency. A text message was the top reported first contact, while social media led by total losses.

FBI IC3, 2025. The IC3 received 1,008,597 complaints reporting $20.877 billion in losses, a 26% increase in losses from 2024, with an average loss of $20,699. "Investment-related fraud was once again the largest component of these losses, followed by business email compromises and tech support scams." People 60 and older filed 201,266 complaints reporting $7.748 billion in losses.

Most scams are never reported. The FTC says reported losses "are just a fraction of American consumers' actual losses since not every consumer who lost money to scams reported it to the FTC," and estimated that the overall cost of fraud to consumers in 2024 "could be as high as $195.9 billion." The FTC cites research finding that only 4.8 percent of victims of mass-market consumer fraud complained to the BBB or a government entity.

These are separate, self-reported datasets, and the FBI's IC3 is one of the sources that feed the FTC's database, so the two totals should not be added together.

Related guides

• Scams and fraud: your rights and where to get help
• How to get money back after a scam
• Zelle and payment app scams
• Phishing, smishing and vishing
• Tech support and fake invoice scams
• How to report identity theft
• AI voice scam calls
• What to do after a data breach

Last updated: October 2, 2026.

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about US federal scam-reporting channels as of October 2, 2026. It is not legal advice. Agency phone numbers, hours and procedures change; confirm them on the agency's official site. For your specific situation, contact your bank or payment company, the agency named above, or a lawyer licensed in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I report a scam in the US?

For most scams, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357). Report online and cyber-enabled crime to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov, and identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov. If you paid the scammer, contact your bank or payment company first.

Will the FTC get my money back?

No, not directly. The FTC's reporting site says it cannot resolve individual reports but uses them to investigate and bring cases. It can refer high-loss reports to the FBI's Recovery Asset Team if you agree.

Will the FBI contact me after I file an IC3 complaint?

Probably not. The IC3 says you will not hear from it and that it does not conduct investigations; any investigation is up to the agency that receives your complaint, which may contact you for evidence.

Can the FBI freeze money I sent to a scammer?

Sometimes. The IC3 Recovery Asset Team works with banks to freeze fraudulent transfers and froze $679,013,183 in 2025 on the incidents it worked. Contact your bank right away and file an IC3 complaint with full transaction details as quickly as possible.

Should I report a scam to the police?

The IC3 says to contact local law enforcement directly if your matter is time sensitive, and the Postal Inspection Service says to call 911 for a crime in progress. For other scams, start with your payment company and the FTC or IC3.

Where do I report a scam against an elderly person?

Call the DOJ National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311 (Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET), which handles fraud against anyone 60 or older. You can also contact your local Adult Protective Services office.

Can I report a scam in Spanish?

Yes. The FTC runs ReporteFraude.ftc.gov for scams and RobodeIdentidad.gov for identity theft, and the National Elder Fraud Hotline offers Spanish.

Is BBB Scam Tracker a government agency?

No. It is run by the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, a private organization. It helps warn others but does not replace a report to the FTC or IC3.

Someone says they can recover my scam losses for a fee. Is that real?

The FTC says government agencies and legitimate organizations never ask for money to help you get a refund, and the IC3 says it does not work with law firms or crypto services to recover funds. Treat an upfront-fee recovery offer as a scam and report it.