Where to report fraud depends on what happened and who took your money

Internet fraud covers a wide range of scams — someone stealing your password, a fake seller taking payment and never shipping, a romance scammer asking for money, a phishing email that led to unauthorized charges. The agency that investigates depends on what type of fraud occurred and whether a federal crime was involved. Most people need to report in two places: to the company or platform where the fraud happened, and to a government agency that tracks these crimes.

The fastest first step is almost always reporting to the company involved — your bank, the shopping site, the email provider, the payment app. They can freeze accounts, reverse charges, and flag patterns they see across many customers. Government agencies investigate crimes and build cases, but they do not reverse your charges or recover your money directly. Both reports matter, but the company report is what gets your money back.

Key Takeaways

  • Report to the company first — your bank, the shopping site, the payment app — because they can reverse charges and freeze accounts within hours.
  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov takes reports from the public and shares patterns with law enforcement and companies.
  • The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov handles complaints involving federal crimes like wire fraud or identity theft.
  • Keep records of everything — screenshots, emails, transaction IDs, the scammer's username or email — because you will need them for both the company and the government.
  • Your bank or credit card company may reverse fraudulent charges within 30 to 60 days, but only if you report them quickly.

Report to the company or platform where the fraud happened first

The company that holds your money or account has the power to act when ready. If you were scammed on a shopping site, report it to that site's customer service. If someone hacked your email, report it to your email provider. If you sent money through PayPal, Venmo, or a wire transfer service, report it there. If fraudulent charges appeared on your credit card or bank account, call your bank's fraud line — the number is on the back of your card.

When you contact the company, have ready: the date the fraud occurred, the amount of money involved, the scammer's username or email address if you have it, and any transaction or confirmation numbers. Take screenshots of messages, listings, or account activity before the company removes them. Most companies have a fraud or dispute form on their website, but calling is faster if you need when ready action like freezing an account or reversing a charge.

Banks and credit card companies have legal timelines for investigating disputes. If you report within 60 days of seeing an unauthorized charge, the bank must investigate and typically reverses the charge while they look into it. If you wait longer, you may lose the right to a refund. For other types of fraud — a seller who never shipped your order, a rental scam — the company's own policies determine whether they refund you, and these vary widely.

Report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for consumer fraud

The FTC collects reports of fraud from the public at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This is where you report if you were scammed by a seller, a romance scammer, a fake job offer, a prize or lottery scam, or any situation where someone took your money or personal information under false pretenses. The FTC does not investigate individual cases or recover your money, but the reports feed into a national database that law enforcement and companies use to spot patterns and shut down operations.

When you file an FTC report, you will be asked for details about what happened, when it happened, how much money was involved, and what information the scammer obtained. You can file online and it takes about 10 minutes. The FTC will send you a confirmation number and may send follow-up emails asking for more details. You do not need a lawyer or to pay anyone to file — the FTC report is free and you do it yourself.

The FTC shares data with the FBI, state attorneys general, and companies like Amazon and Facebook. If your information was compromised, the FTC may notify you if it appears in a data breach they track. Filing an FTC report also creates a record you can reference if you need to dispute charges with your bank or prove to a creditor that you were a victim of fraud.

Report to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for federal crimes

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov handles complaints involving federal crimes — wire fraud, identity theft, extortion, hacking, ransomware, or schemes involving multiple states or countries. If you were scammed by someone who crossed state lines to reach you, or if your personal information was stolen and used to open accounts in your name, IC3 is the right place.

The IC3 report form asks for details about the crime, the scammer's contact information if you have it, and financial losses. Like the FTC, IC3 does not recover money or investigate individual cases, but the reports go to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. If your case involves identity theft — someone using your name, Social Security number, or credit — file with IC3 and also place a fraud alert with the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) by calling 1-888-397-3742.

You can file an IC3 report even if you are not sure whether a federal crime occurred. The IC3 staff will route your complaint to the right agency. Keep your complaint number and the date you filed — you may need it if law enforcement contacts you later or if you are disputing fraudulent accounts opened in your name.

What to do if you sent money through a wire transfer or gift card

Money sent by wire transfer, Western Union, MoneyGram, or gift card is extremely difficult to recover because these methods are designed to be irreversible. If you sent money this way to a scammer, report it when ready to the service you used — they may be able to intercept the money if the recipient has not picked it up yet. Time is critical; call the service's fraud line rather than using their website.

If the money was already picked up, the service cannot reverse it. You should still report it to the FTC and IC3 because law enforcement may be able to identify the pickup location and connect it to other fraud cases. Some wire transfer services have victim reimbursement programs, but these are rare and have strict requirements. Do not send additional money to try to recover the first amount — this is a common follow-up scam.

Protect yourself while reporting and afterward

After you report fraud, change your passwords for any account the scammer accessed or could access. Use a password that is at least 12 characters long and includes numbers and symbols. If the scammer has your email address, enable two-factor authentication on your email account — this requires a second form of verification (usually a code sent to your phone) before anyone can log in, even with the correct password.

Monitor your credit reports for accounts opened in your name. You can view your credit reports free once a year at annualcreditreport.com. If you see accounts you did not open, dispute them with the credit bureau and the creditor. Consider placing a credit freeze with all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) if your Social Security number or personal information was compromised — this prevents anyone from opening new accounts in your name without your permission.

Be cautious of follow-up scams. Scammers sometimes contact victims claiming to be from law enforcement or a recovery service, offering to return the money for an upfront fee. Real law enforcement does not charge victims to recover money. If someone contacts you about your fraud report, verify their identity by calling the agency's main number (not a number they provide) before sharing any information.

Keep records and know what to expect

Save everything related to the fraud: emails, screenshots, transaction confirmations, the scammer's username or profile, dates, amounts, and your own reports to companies and agencies. Store these in a folder on your computer or in cloud storage. If you need to dispute charges with your bank, file a claim with a payment service, or work with law enforcement, you will need to show this documentation.

Expect the process to take time. Your bank may reverse a charge within days or weeks. The FTC and IC3 may not contact you at all — they use reports to identify patterns, not to solve individual cases. If law enforcement does investigate, they will contact you, but this can take months or years. In the meantime, focus on securing your accounts and monitoring your credit to catch any additional fraud early.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my money back if I sent it to a scammer?

It depends on how you sent it. If you used a credit card or bank account, you may be able to dispute the charge and get a refund within 30 to 60 days. If you sent money by wire transfer, gift card, or cash app, recovery is unlikely because these methods are designed to be irreversible. Report when ready anyway — law enforcement may intercept the money if it has not been picked up.

Do I have to report to both the FTC and the FBI?

No. Report to the FTC for consumer fraud like shopping scams or romance scams. Report to the FBI's IC3 if a federal crime was involved — identity theft, wire fraud, hacking, or schemes crossing state lines. If you are unsure which applies, you can file with both; they share information and will route your report to the right agency.

What if I do not know who scammed me or where they are?

Report what you do know — the website or app they used, their username, the date and amount, and how they contacted you. The FTC and IC3 use these details to identify patterns and connect your case to others. Companies like Facebook and Amazon also investigate fraud on their platforms even when the scammer's real identity is unknown.

How long does it take for law enforcement to investigate?

The FTC and IC3 do not investigate individual cases. They collect reports to identify patterns and pass information to law enforcement agencies. If the FBI or a local police department decides to investigate, it can take months or years. You will not hear back from the FTC or IC3 unless your information appears in a data breach they track.

Should I hire a lawyer or pay someone to help me report fraud?

No. Filing reports with the FTC, IC3, your bank, and the company involved is free and you can do it yourself. Anyone charging you to file these reports or to recover your money is likely running another scam. Real law enforcement and the FTC do not charge victims for help.