How to Report a Scam Call

Before You Report the Call

End the call and write down what happened while the details are fresh. Do not call the suspected scammer back. Caller ID can be altered, so record what appeared without treating it as proof of who called.

Collect as much of the following information as you have:

• The caller ID number and the number that received the call.
• The date, time, and approximate length of the call.
• The name or organization the caller claimed to represent.
• Any name, department, case reference, or callback information the caller provided.
• What the caller requested, including personal information, account access, payment, or an authentication code.
• The payment method or account involved if money was sent.
• Voicemail, text messages, screenshots, receipts, transaction records, and notes about the caller’s exact claims.

Do not delay a scam call report because some details are missing. Report what you know and clearly mark anything you are unsure about.

How to Submit a Scam Call Report

The Federal Trade Commission accepts reports about scams, fraud, and impersonation. To report a scam call through the official reporting form:

1. Open {site} and select the option to report fraud.
2. Choose the category that best matches the call, such as an impersonator or another type of fraud.
3. Answer the questions about whether money was requested or sent and how the caller contacted you.
4. Enter the organization or person the caller claimed to represent, if known.
5. Describe the call in your own words. Include the caller ID number, date, time, request, payment instructions, and information you disclosed.
6. Add your contact information if you want to provide it. The form allows you to decide how much contact information to share.
7. Review the entry, submit it, and save the report number and any recovery guidance displayed afterward.

If no money was lost and you only want to report an unwanted call, the Federal Trade Commission directs consumers to its National Do Not Call Registry reporting form. A phone call scam report may also belong with another agency, depending on what occurred.

Where to Report Different Phone Scams

Use the agency that handles the main issue. It can be appropriate to file with more than one organization when a call involves both fraud and unlawful calling practices.

• Impersonation and general fraud: Report government, business, technical-support, family-emergency, prize, or other impersonation calls to the Federal Trade Commission.

• Robocalls, caller ID spoofing, and unwanted calls: File an unwanted-calls complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. A call without a financial loss can also be reported through the National Do Not Call Registry form.

• Cyber-enabled or substantial financial fraud: Report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, especially when online accounts, electronic transfers, cryptocurrency, remote computer access, or digital communications were involved.

• Bank or card fraud: Contact the financial institution through the contact method shown in its official app, statement, or on the card. Ask it to secure the account and review the transaction.

• Local threats or theft: Contact local law enforcement. Use emergency services only when someone is in immediate danger.

If you are uncertain how to report a phone call scam, start with the Federal Trade Commission. Its report can help law enforcement identify patterns even when the correct agency is not obvious.

What to Do If You Shared Information

Act before finishing the report if an account or payment method may still be at risk.

• Contact the affected bank, card issuer, payment service, or other account provider through a trusted contact method. Explain that the information was given to a suspected scammer and ask what must be secured.
• Change the affected password from a trusted device. If you reused that password, change it on every account where it appears.
• Sign out other sessions and review recovery email addresses, devices, forwarding rules, and recent account activity.
• Replace compromised authentication methods. Tell the provider if you revealed a verification code, security answer, recovery code, or account PIN.
• If personal identity information was exposed, use the Federal Trade Commission’s identity-theft recovery service to build a recovery plan. Consider a credit freeze or fraud alert with the nationwide credit bureaus.
• If money was sent, notify the financial provider immediately and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or recalled. Preserve receipts and confirmation records.
• If remote-access software was installed, disconnect the device from the internet, remove the software, run a trusted security scan, and change sensitive passwords using a different device.

Do not give additional information to anyone who contacts you claiming they can recover the loss. Treat unexpected recovery offers as another possible scam.

How to Block Future Scam Calls

On a mobile phone, open the recent-calls list and use the option to block or report the caller. Many devices can also silence unknown callers or filter calls marked as spam. Review the setting carefully so calls from doctors, schools, employers, or other new contacts are not missed.

Your carrier may provide call-labeling or blocking controls through its account tools. The National Do Not Call Registry can reduce lawful sales calls, but it does not prevent criminals from calling. Blocking one caller ID number may not stop the same scammer because displayed numbers can be spoofed or changed.

Let unfamiliar calls go to voicemail when practical. Do not press keys or speak to an automated prompt merely to be removed from a suspicious calling list.

What Happens After a Report

After you report phone call scam activity to the Federal Trade Commission, the form provides a report number and relevant next-step guidance. Save or print that information. Keep your notes, voicemail, screenshots, payment records, and account alerts in their original form.

A report is generally used to detect patterns, support investigations, share useful information with law-enforcement partners, and improve call-blocking work. It is not a promise that an agency will investigate the individual call, recover money, identify the caller, or provide a personal response.

The FCC may use complaint information for enforcement and policy work. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center analyzes submissions and may refer them to law-enforcement partners, but it does not respond directly to every person who files. An investigator or agency may contact you if more evidence is needed, so keep the report reference and records. Verify any unexpected follow-up independently before sharing information.