How to Report a Scam Phone Number or Call

Where to Report a Scam Call

Report most suspected phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC collects reports about fraud, impostors, deceptive requests for money, and attempts to obtain personal information. It shares report data with law-enforcement partners and uses it to identify patterns.

The Federal Communications Commission accepts complaints about unwanted calls, illegal robocalls, caller-ID spoofing, and related telecommunications problems. File with the FCC when the way the call was placed is an important part of the complaint. You may report the same incident to both agencies when it involves fraud and an unwanted or spoofed call.

The National Do Not Call Registry has a streamlined unwanted-call reporting process. It is useful when no money was lost and you mainly need to report an unwanted sales call or robocall.

A report does not prove that the displayed number belongs to the caller. Scammers can manipulate caller ID, so report what appeared on your screen without claiming that the number’s owner made the call.

How to Report a Scam Phone Number Online

If you are asking how to report a scam phone number, start with the FTC’s official fraud-reporting service. Use the FCC’s official Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Center for robocalls, spoofing, or other unwanted-call issues.

1. End the call. Do not call back, press buttons, or confront the caller.
2. Open the appropriate agency’s official reporting portal. Confirm that the page identifies the agency before entering information.
3. Select the category that best matches what happened, such as an impostor scam, unwanted call, robocall, or caller-ID spoofing.
4. Enter the phone number that received the call and the number shown on caller ID. Include any different callback number the caller provided.
5. Describe what the caller claimed, what they wanted you to do, and whether you sent money or disclosed information.
6. Review the report for accuracy, submit it, and save any confirmation or report reference shown.

This process answers common questions such as “how do I report a scam phone call?” and “how do I report a scam call?” The key is to report the event, not merely enter a number. Context helps authorities connect related complaints.

Information to Gather Before Reporting

Collect what you can, but do not delay a report because one detail is missing. Useful information includes:

• The phone number and caller name displayed on your screen.
• The number the caller told you to contact, if different.
• The date, time, and approximate length of the call.
• The phone number that received the call.
• Any saved voicemail, transcript, screenshot, or call-log entry.
• The organization, government office, or person the caller claimed to represent.
• What the caller asked you to do, disclose, download, or transfer.
• The payment method, amount lost, and transaction records, if applicable.
• Names, reference codes, email messages, or follow-up texts connected to the call.

Keep original records when possible. Do not edit a voicemail or screenshot. Never contact the caller again just to obtain more evidence.

What to Do If You Shared Money or Personal Information

Act immediately if you paid or revealed sensitive information. Contact your bank, card issuer, payment service, wire-transfer provider, or other financial institution through a trusted channel. Explain that the transaction resulted from fraud and ask what protective or recovery steps remain available. Do not use contact details supplied by the caller.

If you disclosed a password, change it from a trusted device. Change reused passwords too, enable stronger account verification, and review recent account activity. Contact the affected organization directly if you shared an account number or verification code.

If someone used your personal information, file through the FTC’s official identity-theft reporting service. It creates a recovery plan based on the information involved. Consider placing a credit freeze with each nationwide credit bureau and checking your credit reports for unfamiliar accounts.

Report the scam to the FTC even after notifying a financial institution. Contact local law enforcement if money or property was stolen, you need a police report, or there is an immediate local threat. Internet-enabled fraud may also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. If the caller impersonated a specific government agency, check that agency’s official site for its inspector general or fraud-reporting channel.

How to Block Future Scam Calls

On a mobile phone, open the recent-calls list and use the built-in option to block or report the caller as spam. Your phone may also offer settings that silence unknown callers or filter suspected spam.

Ask your carrier what call-labeling, spam-filtering, or network-level blocking tools are available. For a landline or internet-based home phone, check the provider’s blocking controls and any features built into the handset.

Blocking one number may reduce repeat calls, but scammers frequently change or spoof displayed numbers. Blocking does not replace an FTC or FCC report. Do not block a broad range of numbers if doing so could hide legitimate calls you need to receive.

What Happens After You Submit a Report

You may receive an on-screen confirmation, reference number, or a copy of the information submitted. Save it with your voicemail, screenshots, call log, payment records, and notes.

Agencies combine reports to detect patterns, support investigations, guide enforcement, and help call-blocking work. A report scam call submission is useful even when you did not lose money.

An agency may not contact you individually, and filing a report does not guarantee that the caller will be identified, that the displayed number will be traced, or that lost funds will be recovered. Respond promptly if an investigator requests more information, but independently verify the request through the agency’s official channel before sharing sensitive records.