FTC fraud reporting guide.
An FTC-style fraud report fits scams, impostors, fake sellers, deceptive practices, unwanted charges, and patterns that may affect other consumers.
Rule: reporting fraud is not the same as getting your money back. For money recovery, also use your bank, card issuer, payment app, platform, or police route when relevant.
Good fit
- Fake seller or fake online store.
- Impostor scam.
- Unauthorized or deceptive charge pattern.
- Phishing or identity-theft setup.
- False advertising or deceptive business practice.
- Payment-app, gift-card, crypto, wire, or bank-transfer scam.
Prepare first
- Business/person name used by the scammer.
- Website, email, phone number, username, or payment handle.
- Dates, amounts, payment method, and transaction references.
- Screenshots, receipts, messages, ads, listings, and shipping/tracking evidence.
- Whether you already contacted your bank/card/payment provider.