Fraud Call Support and Reporting Help

End a suspected fraud call, do not call the number back, and report the call through an official fraud-reporting service or a verified support channel. Save the caller ID, time, claims, payment request, and any information you disclosed before blocking or deleting anything.

What should you do after a suspected fraud call?

An unexpected or unknown call is not automatically fraud. Treat the call as suspicious when the caller’s behavior, claims, or requests do not seem legitimate, and verify the situation independently.

1. End the call. Do not argue, follow keypad instructions, transfer money, install software, or provide more information.
2. Do not call back using the number shown on caller ID, left in a voicemail, or supplied by the caller. Caller ID can display misleading information.
3. Write down the caller’s number or displayed name, the date and time, what the caller claimed, and what the caller asked you to do.
4. Save relevant evidence, such as the voicemail, text messages, emails, transaction records, or screenshots. Do not open unexpected attachments or use contact details included in them.
5. Block the number if your phone provides that option. Blocking may reduce repeat calls from that number, but it cannot prevent every unwanted call.

If the caller claimed to represent a bank, government agency, delivery company, employer, or another organization, contact that organization separately through a verified channel. Do not continue the conversation with the suspected caller.

How do you report a fraudulent call?

A fraud call can be reported to the appropriate government fraud-reporting service and, when relevant, to the organization the caller impersonated. A report documents what happened but does not guarantee an investigation, response, or recovery.

1. Open the company’s official website and locate the option for reporting fraud, scams, or unwanted calls.
2. Select the category that most closely matches the call. If no category is exact, choose the closest option and explain the details in the description field.
3. Enter only the information requested by the official reporting form. Review the report for accuracy before submitting it.
4. Save the confirmation or reference information, if the reporting service provides any.
5. Report the impersonation to the real organization through contact details found independently on its official website, app, account statement, or the back of a payment card.

If you prefer to report by phone, obtain the reporting number from the government agency’s official website or another verified publication. Never use a reporting number supplied during the suspicious call.

What information should you include in a fraud-call report?

Include facts you observed directly. It is fine to say that a detail is unknown rather than guess.

• The phone number and name displayed by caller ID, even if they may have been falsified.
• The date, approximate time, and number of calls received.
• The organization or person the caller claimed to represent.
• The reason given for the call and any threats, deadlines, rewards, account problems, or emergencies described.
• The payment method requested, such as a bank transfer, payment card, gift card, cash, or cryptocurrency.
• Any phone number, email address, account name, or other contact detail provided by the caller.
• Any personal, account, identity, security, or financial information you disclosed.
• Whether you transferred funds, provided a code, installed software, opened a file, or allowed access to a device.

A concise timeline can make the report easier to understand. Separate the caller’s exact claims from your own conclusions about whether the call was fraudulent.

What should you do if you shared personal or financial information?

Act promptly if a suspected fraud caller received sensitive information. The right protective steps depend on what was exposed.

1. Contact the affected bank, card issuer, employer, government agency, or service through a verified channel. Explain what information or payment method was involved and ask what protective action is available.
2. Change the password for the affected account from a trusted device. If the same password was used elsewhere, replace it on those accounts with separate, strong passwords.
3. Review account recovery details and recent activity. Sign out unfamiliar sessions and enable available security protections, such as multifactor authentication.
4. If you disclosed identity information, review guidance from the official federal identity-theft recovery service. Follow the steps that apply to the information exposed.
5. If you installed software or allowed remote access, disconnect the device from networks and seek help from a trusted technical support provider. Avoid signing in to sensitive accounts on that device until it has been checked.
6. Keep copies of reports, messages, transaction details, and communications with affected organizations.

Do not share a verification code with someone who contacts you unexpectedly. A code can allow access to an account even when the caller claims it is needed to protect that account.

How can you verify a legitimate support number?

Find legitimate support details independently instead of trusting an unsolicited caller. A familiar name or local-looking caller ID does not prove that the call came from that organization.

1. Type the organization’s known official site name into your browser or use a saved official app.
2. Look for a Contact, Help, Support, Security, or Fraud section.
3. Compare the contact details with those printed on an account statement, official notice, or the back of your payment card.
4. Start a new call using the verified number. Do not use redial, a voicemail number, or a number sent by the suspected caller.
5. Ask the verified support representative whether the organization attempted to contact you and whether the stated account issue is real.

If you cannot verify a number, pause and seek help through another official channel. A legitimate support process should not require you to rely only on contact information provided in an unexpected call.

What are the common warning signs of fraud calls?

Call fraud often relies on pressure rather than proof. One warning sign alone may not confirm fraud, but several signs together should prompt you to end the call and verify the claim independently.

• The caller impersonates a government agency, bank, technical support team, employer, relative, utility, or delivery service.
• The caller demands immediate action and says you must not speak with anyone else.
• The caller threatens arrest, account closure, service disconnection, financial loss, or another serious consequence.
• The caller asks for a password, full security answer, verification code, government identification number, or payment-card details.
• The caller demands an unusual or difficult-to-reverse payment method.
• The caller asks you to install software, share your screen, or permit remote access to a device.
• The caller discourages you from checking the claim through an official website or verified support number.
• The caller says the caller ID proves the call is legitimate.

When a call feels suspicious, ending it is a safe way to create time for independent verification. Do not confront or call back the suspected scammer.