Explore resources, tools, and organizations that offer additional help and support with reporting scams or fraudulent activity. Any links below only lead to credible sources including government-owned agencies & international organizations.
Better Business Bureau
For over 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses and charities they can trust. Millions of people turn to BBB each year to view free profiles for companies and organizations that are accredited with them so consumers know if a company is reputable or not. The bureau's mission includes educating consumers on how best to avoid being scammed by unethical business practices, as well as protecting their interests when it comes to purchasing from an unfamiliar online retailer.
Is this site or online store a scam or safe? Are the reviews real or fake? That is the question Scamadviser tries to answer for 2.5 million visitors every month. Scamadviser uses an algorithm to determine if the website is legit with real reviews or a phishing website, selling fake products. Our goal: help consumers make the right choices online.
Our personal friends at Scamadvisor have already been helping thousands of individuals protect themselves from scams every single day. You can check the legitimacy of a website by searching it on Scamadvisor. Click the button below to access their helpful and informative website.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a government agency that investigates and prosecutes violators of consumer protection laws. They create rules to ensure the marketplace remains fair, investigate companies who may be engaging in unlawful practices, and educate consumers & businesses on their rights and responsibilities. Their mission is to protect consumers from deceptive & illegal business practices, while also educating them on what their own legal protections are, should they need to exercise any. The commission works alongside other agencies like the state's attorney general when necessary.
The Federal Trade Commission helps to protect Americans from scammers looking for your money, and businesses who don’t intend to keep their promises. The FTC has access to the latest reports about fraud, trending scams, and bad business practices which they share with law enforcement partners in order to investigate them more thoroughly. Every year, a report is released by the FTC which includes information about how many of these fraudulent cases have been reported; you can help your community be safe by reporting any known scams or fraud.
The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection does all it can to stop unfair, deceptive and fraudulent business practices by collecting reports from consumers and conducting investigations. They sue companies that break the law, develop rules in order to maintain a fair marketplace for businesses, educate consumers about their rights, and even combat companies fraudulently advertising products.
Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF)
The National Center for Disaster Fraud is a department of the Department of Justice (NCDF) that works to protect citizens from fraud, waste, and abuse related to both man-made disasters or natural disasters. They also work to protect Americans from any criminal activity relating to coronavirus (COVID-19).
You can use the NCDF DISASTER COMPLAINT FORM on their website to report:
criminal conduct relating to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies;
hoarding or price gouging of medical items, including respirators, ventilators, disinfecting devices, sterilization services, and other protective equipment like medical gowns, face masks, and gloves; and
disaster fraud involving any Federal program providing financial assistance to individuals, businesses, or government entities (federal, state, or local).
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is for those who have been victims of non-physical crimes. If you believe that someone has stolen your identity or committed credit card fraud, IC3 can help put a stop to it with just one step: filing a complaint. When submitting, provide as much information about what happened and all related details such as when, where, how, etc. More details will make investigating easier, and help protect other potential victims sooner.
You can report international scams at econsumer.gov. The organization collects reports and helps agencies around the world work together to combat fraud. They're able to spot scam trends and prevent future fraudulent activity from happening.
