Reporting a scam feels like a chore, it can feel embarrassing, and above all it feels pointless. We get it. But a report is the key to almost everything else: your bank may ask for it, exchanges ask for it before they cooperate, and it's how investigators connect your case to hundreds of others run by the same group. This guide explains where to go in the US and the UK, what to include and how to describe what happened so your report is actually useful.
Quick answer
US: report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at IC3.gov, and contact local police if you need a police report. UK: report to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, Police Scotland on 101. Include dates, amounts, payment details, usernames, phone numbers, URLs and screenshots. Reporting doesn't refund you by itself, so contact your bank or payment app at the same time.
In this article
Where to report in the US
You can, and often should, use more than one channel.
- FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov). The national consumer protection agency. It doesn't resolve individual reports, but shares them with more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies and gives you next steps.
- FBI's IC3 (IC3.gov). The FBI's center for internet crime complaints, including investment and crypto scams, business email compromise and extortion.
- Local police. Useful if your bank, insurer or app asks for a police report number.
- Your state attorney general's consumer protection office, especially when a business is involved.
- IdentityTheft.gov, if the scammer got your Social Security number or opened accounts in your name.
Where to report in the UK
- Report Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Run by the City of London Police, it replaced Action Fraud as the national reporting service for fraud and cyber crime in December 2025. Report online at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. If you reported to Action Fraud before, the FAQs explain how to access or update past reports.
- Police Scotland: call 101 (or 999 in an emergency).
- Scam texts: forward them free to 7726.
- Scam emails: forward them to report@phishing.gov.uk, run by the National Cyber Security Centre.
- Your bank, at the same time, to start any reimbursement claim.
Online vs. in person
Online reporting is usually the fastest and works well for most scams. Go to the police in person (or call) when the crime is ongoing, you're being threatened, you know who the scammer is, or someone is at risk. In an emergency, call 911 (US) or 999 (UK).
What evidence to include
Include everything you have, even if it seems minor. If something's missing, report anyway and add it later.
- Your details and how to contact you.
- Payment records: date, amount, method (bank transfer, Zelle, card, crypto) and the receiving account, username or wallet.
- Screenshots of conversations, ads, websites and profiles, with dates and phone numbers or usernames visible.
- Scammer identifiers: phone numbers, emails, bank details, social media handles, URLs.
- For crypto: TXIDs, wallet addresses, the network and the platform name. More in what to do after a crypto scam.
- Bank reference numbers from your calls or claims.
- A written timeline (template below).
Keep everything in one folder you can share as files.
Want help preparing your report?
An organized report with the key details (account numbers, TXIDs, dates) makes it easier for investigators to act. Tell us about your case and we'll let you know, for free, what's missing and what to highlight.
A template for describing what happened
Stick to facts, in order, with dates and identifiers. You can adapt this outline:
1. Who I am. Name and contact details.
2. How it started. "On 3 September 2026 I saw an Instagram ad for the site [address] offering…" or "I got a text that looked like it came from my bank with the link [address]."
3. What happened next, in order. Each contact with date, channel (phone, WhatsApp, email) and number or username.
4. Payments made or charges that appeared. Date, amount, method, receiving account or wallet, TXID.
5. When I realized and what I did. Call to the bank (date, time, reference), cards blocked, passwords changed.
6. Total loss.
7. Documents attached. A numbered list.
Short sentences, no adjectives. "They said I'd lose my balance unless I paid $500" is far more useful than "they pressured me a lot."
Common reporting mistakes
- Waiting until you have everything. Report early and update later. Banks and platforms don't keep data forever.
- Being too brief. "I was scammed online for $2,000" gives investigators nothing. The receiving account, the phone number or the TXID does.
- Leaving out payments. If there were ten transfers, list all ten with dates and amounts.
- Forgetting other victims. If you know others were hit by the same site or profile, say so.
- Not keeping your reference number. You'll need it for your bank and any later claim.
Reporting for someone else, such as an elderly parent
A lot of reports are made by a son, daughter or friend who noticed something was wrong. You can help, but a few things make it smoother:
- Get their consent and sit with them while you file, if you can. Agencies may need to contact the victim directly.
- Act on the bank first. Call their bank together, explain it's a scam and ask about extra protections on the account.
- Look for ongoing contact. Scammers often keep calling, or have remote-access apps installed on the computer or phone. Remove them and change passwords.
- Be gentle. Shame is the main reason older victims hide what happened, and hiding it is what lets the scam continue. A calm "this happens to smart people every day" goes a long way.
- Expect follow-ups. Fake "refund" or "recovery" calls often target the same person a few weeks later.
What happens after you report
Expect an acknowledgment and a reference number, not an immediate investigation. The FTC adds reports to a database used by law enforcement; IC3 complaints are analyzed and referred to the FBI and other agencies; Report Fraud reviews reports and shares them with police forces to support investigations.
Be realistic: many online scammers are never identified, or they're overseas. That doesn't make your report useless. Cases are often built by linking many small reports, and agencies sometimes contact victims months later.
Add new evidence to your existing report rather than filing a new one when possible.
Reporting won't refund you: do this in parallel
The report goes after the crime. Getting money back usually depends on other routes, each with its own deadlines:
- A written claim to your bank, card issuer or payment app. In the UK, most bank transfer scams since October 2024 fall under the APP reimbursement rules. See how to get money back after being scammed.
- A report to the platform where it happened (marketplace, social network, exchange), quoting your reference number.
- Securing your accounts and devices if you shared passwords or installed apps.
- Watch out for "recovery" offers that appear after you report. Read our guide to crypto recovery scams.
If you live in Spain, the process is different: you file a denuncia with the Policía Nacional or the Guardia Civil. Our Spanish guide to reporting online scams covers it.
If the amount is significant or the case gets complicated, a professional review is worth it. At Kironic we work every day with victims of online scams, crypto fraud and hacks. Tell us about your case, before or after you report: we'll review it for free and tell you what can be done beyond the report.
