When we write on fraud or identity theft at CNET, we regularly advise victims to contact the Federal Trade Commission or the Center for Crime on the Internet of the FBI to share their experience.
However, suppose you have not lost money or abandoned any identifiable personal information, such as your social security number. In this case, you may not think it is necessary to take this step – but you should.
Only 38% of fraud reports received by the FTC in 2024 involved monetary losses. Fraud reports help the FTC and the FBI inform and educate the public on popular scams and help local and federal authorities to catch criminals.
If you are the victim of a scam, you can take other steps, in particular by registering for protection against identity theft, freezing your credit reports or handing your bank or your credit card company to recover stolen funds. But don’t forget to let the FTC and the FBI know. Here is why.
Why should you report fraud?
When you report fraud, you are a good Samaritan – and you can help reduce the chances of a specific scam injuring someone else.
The FTC and the trends in the IC3 division of the FBI IC3 division and update the public on popular scams orchestrated by cybercriminals using information provided by everyday Americans. Certain popular scams whose agencies have warned in recent months include toll scams, false USPS texts and criminals that have the identity of government agencies.
“The more information on the FTC and IC3 receive, the better the statistics can obtain and use to alert consumers,” said Chelsea Binns, certified fraud examiner and Associate Professor at Cuny John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
The FTC and IC3 also publish annual reports detailing trends in the previous year using submitted complaints. The data is broken down by age, state, the frequency of specific crimes and the dollars lost for each type of fraud.
The two agencies allow consumers to receive e-mail alerts on popular scams all year round. To register for FTC alerts, click here. You can register for IC3 alerts here.
The FTC and IC3 also work with the police to help take cybercriminals. When submitting a report to the FTC, it is added to its Sentinel Consumer database, to which 2,800 federal, state and local partners’ partners across the country can access. IC3 trained analysts examine and also seek complaints and transmit information to the authorities.
“This is how they can potentially build cases against fraudsters,” said Binns.
How to report FTC and FBI fraud?
You can report the scams related to FTC fraud to reportfraud.ftc.gov. Cyber -related crimes should also be reported to IC3 to IC3.GOV. Combined, these agencies received more than 3.4 million complaints last year.
Keep in mind that it is unlikely that you will hear FTC or IC3 after submitting a report – despite your use to corroborate information or light up trends. If someone pretending to be a government official contacts you and asks for money, offers you a price or threatens to stop, it’s a scam.
If you are the victim of identity theft, a specific fraud category, you can report your file to the FTC to Identitytheft.gov or by calling the 1-877-438-4338. The FTC will set up steps to recover your identity according to the information you provide.
Each of these steps, such as calling bill collectors and contacting bank fraud services, can take time and can cost you money, especially if a lawyer will manage it for you. If you have an identity flight protection service with White Glove Restoration Services, this control list can be completed for you.
Can I get my money back after falling in love with a scam?
As a rule, purchases of unauthorized debit and credit cards are easier to reverse. If you send money to the crooks yourself (as in a golden bar scam), recovering your money is more difficult. You must contact your bank as soon as possible so that they can, hopefully, cancel a transaction. In cases where cryptocurrency is involved, payments are almost irreversible.
Depending on the type of fraud you have endured, you will want to take basic measures such as modifying your password, register for two -factor authentication and activate alerts for purchases made on your credit and debit cards. You should also consider deleting the registered websites of websites, said Binns.
In the weeks and months after being the victim of fraud, it is essential to be on the custody against any foreigner who contacts you by promising to recover your money.
“What will happen is that the original fraudster will come and pretend to be an organization or service that will help you recover the funds you have lost,” she said. “And, in turn, it will just be another scam.”
