How to report an online scam in the US

Start with protecting your money. Reporting comes next.

The answer in 2 lines. If you sent money, contact your bank or payment provider immediately through a trusted channel and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. Save the messages and transaction records. Use the FTC reporting portal to describe the scam, and the FBI's IC3 website to file an internet-crime complaint. If someone used your identity, start a separate recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.

Start here

Protect the payment: call the number on your card or statement, or open your payment provider's app yourself. Explain exactly what happened and ask about stopping, recalling or disputing the payment.
Preserve the evidence: save messages, website addresses, receipts and transaction references. Keep original emails as well as screenshots.
Report through the appropriate channel: use the official links below. Keep each confirmation with your evidence so you can refer to it later.

Stop: danger

Stop sending money: another payment to unlock a refund, release a prize or cover an unexpected fee can deepen the loss.
Do not trust a recovery promise: someone demanding an upfront payment to retrieve stolen funds may be running another scam.
Stop sharing access: do not give a caller your password, verification code or remote access to your device.

Where to report what happened

Your situation	Official next step
A fake seller, impersonator or other consumer scam	Open ReportFraud.ftc.gov, select the reporting option and answer the questions about what happened. Save the report number and next-step advice.
Internet-enabled theft or fraud	At IC3, select File a Complaint, read the terms and complete the form with the transaction and suspect information you have.
Someone opened accounts or otherwise used your identity	Use IdentityTheft.gov to report the misuse and receive a personalized recovery plan.
You are unsure which agency handles the problem	Use the questions in USAGov's scam reporting guide to identify the appropriate route.

You can use more than one channel when they serve different purposes. Keep your description consistent and distinguish confirmed facts from suspicions.

What not to do

Waiting for a government response before contacting your bank or payment provider.
Deleting the conversation immediately after blocking the scammer.
Assuming that filing a report automatically starts a lawsuit or guarantees reimbursement.
Following a reporting link sent by the person who contacted you.

Prepare a clear account

Write a short timeline explaining how contact began, what was promised and how any payment was made. Include the website address, account or profile name, contact details used by the scammer, payment dates and transaction references. State whether a payment was unauthorized or whether you made it after being deceived; that distinction matters.

Read the IC3 complaint instructions before submitting. IC3 does not accept evidence attachments through its complaint process: retain originals securely. Save or print the completed complaint before leaving the confirmation screen, because IC3 does not email you a copy.

Reporting and getting your money back are separate

A report helps authorities identify patterns and decide where information should go. IC3 reviews complaints and may refer them to law enforcement; it does not promise an individual investigation or provide case-status updates. A local police report may also be appropriate when money was stolen or another crime occurred.

For a business complaint, use USAGov's state consumer protection directory: select your state or territory, then follow the listed office's complaint instructions. State procedures and available assistance vary. For payment recovery, follow the payment-specific steps in the FTC's scam recovery guide; recovery is uncertain, but asking promptly is worthwhile.

Good to know

A suspicious message can be worth reporting even if you did not lose money.
If you disclosed a password, change it and any reused copies, then enable multifactor authentication.
Keep a contact log showing what you requested, who answered and any reference numbers.

A shopper pays for a used appliance, then the seller disappears. She saves the listing and messages, contacts her bank about the payment and reports the scam through the FTC portal. She also files an IC3 complaint and saves its confirmation. She refuses a later offer from someone demanding a fee to recover the money.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 5, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for federal reporting routes and evidence preservation; medium for individual recovery outcomes and state procedures. Reporting does not guarantee reimbursement or an investigation.