File a Complaint With the Federal Trade Commission

Where to File an FTC Complaint

Open {site} and look for the FTC’s Report Fraud option. The official portal is run by the Federal Trade Commission and is used for reports about scams, fraud, and unfair or deceptive business practices.

Before entering information, check that the page clearly identifies the Federal Trade Commission as the agency receiving the report. Do not use a complaint form offered by a private company, recovery service, social media account, or search advertisement. A third party may collect your personal information without sending your report to the FTC.

The general fraud portal is not the right form for every issue. If someone used your personal information without permission, select the FTC’s identity-theft reporting option. The FTC also directs certain subjects, such as unwanted calls and competition concerns, to dedicated reporting channels. Follow the subject choices on the official site rather than guessing which agency or form applies.

Information to Gather Before Filing

You can start a report even if you do not have every detail. Still, collecting the following information first will make the report more useful and reduce the chance that you lose your place while checking records:

• Your name and contact information, if you choose to provide it.
• The date the incident began and the date of the most recent contact or transaction.
• The amount sent or charged, the payment method, and whether the charge was recurring.
• Transaction, receipt, order, account, or confirmation numbers that relate to the incident.
• The company’s or person’s name and any names used during calls, messages, or transactions.
• Contact details used by the company or suspected scammer, exactly as they appeared.
• How the contact began, such as a call, text, email, letter, online advertisement, or social media message.
• A short timeline explaining what was promised, what happened, and what loss or problem resulted.
• Copies or screenshots of messages, receipts, payment records, advertisements, and relevant account statements.

Do not include passwords, full payment-card security codes, or other secrets that the form does not request. Keep original records in your possession. You can use them to write an accurate description without sending unnecessary sensitive information.

How to Submit the Complaint

1. Open the official portal through {site} and select the option to begin a fraud report.
2. Choose the category that best describes the problem. The portal may ask follow-up questions to narrow the report to a type of scam or business practice.
3. Answer the incident questions. Enter dates, payment details, the way you were contacted, and the names connected with the event. If a field does not apply or you do not know the answer, do not guess.
4. Describe what happened in your own words. Use a clear timeline and state what the person or company claimed, what you did, and what happened afterward. Focus on facts rather than conclusions you cannot verify.
5. Enter as much or as little personal contact information as you choose. Providing contact information may allow someone reviewing the report to seek more details, but it does not promise individual contact.
6. Review the report carefully. Correct spelling, dates, amounts, and company information. Make sure your description does not contain passwords or unrelated personal data.
7. Submit the report only after confirming that the summary is accurate. Save the information shown on the confirmation screen before closing the page.

If the page stops responding, avoid submitting the same report repeatedly. First check whether a confirmation appeared or was sent to the contact method you provided. If there is no confirmation, return through the official site and try again.

What Happens After Submission

After submission, the portal provides a report number and guidance related to the type of incident described. If you supplied an email address, the FTC may also send the report number and guidance there. Save the report number with your other records and take a screenshot or make a note of the confirmation page.

Consumer reports are added to the FTC’s reporting system. The FTC and authorized law-enforcement partners use reports to identify patterns, investigate possible violations, build cases, and warn the public about developing scams.

Filing a report does not create an individual customer-service case. The FTC generally does not resolve individual complaints, recover a particular person’s money, provide legal representation, or promise a reply or investigation. The report may still help authorities see conduct that affects many people.

If You Need Help Filing

If you cannot complete the online form, use the verified FTC contact information displayed on this page to reach the Consumer Response Center. Ask for help filing a report and explain whether the problem is technical, related to a disability, or caused by a language barrier.

The FTC accepts reports by telephone in English, Spanish, and many other languages through interpreter assistance. Follow the language prompts when you contact the agency. A trusted person may also help you complete an English-language online report, but review every answer before it is submitted.

The FTC states that its website includes accessibility features for users with disabilities. If an accessibility barrier prevents you from using the form, use the official accessibility or contact section to report the problem and request an accessible way to proceed. People who use telecommunications relay services can consult the FTC’s accessibility information for the supported official contact route.

Protect Yourself After Reporting

Reporting the incident does not automatically secure affected accounts. Change any password you disclosed or reused, beginning with your email account. Use a different strong password for each account and turn on multifactor authentication where available. Never give a verification code to someone who contacts you unexpectedly.

Contact the relevant bank, card issuer, payment provider, or account provider through a contact method you already trust if payment or account information was exposed. Ask it to secure the account and document the disputed activity. Review statements and alerts for transactions or profile changes you do not recognize.

Keep the FTC report number, your timeline, screenshots, messages, receipts, and notes about later contacts together. Preserve original files and record when you changed passwords or contacted an account provider. Be cautious of anyone who claims to be acting for the FTC and asks for money, a transfer, account access, or a verification code. Your saved records will help you distinguish legitimate follow-up from another scam.