What to Do If You’re a Victim of Fraud: USA Guide

If someone is in immediate danger: contact your local emergency service. Do not use the contact details supplied by a suspected fraudster.

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Step-by-step fraud help guide for victims in United States

Becoming a victim of fraud can be financially and emotionally overwhelming, but taking immediate action can help limit further damage. Fraud in the United States may involve identity theft, phishing emails, fake job offers, forged business documents, investment schemes, online shopping scams, unauthorized payments, or criminals impersonating trusted organizations. If you suspect fraud, stop communicating with the suspected scammer, avoid sending additional money, secure your accounts, preserve the evidence, and begin the reporting process as quickly as possible.

Fraudsters frequently make their communications look legitimate by copying company logos, employee names, email signatures, invoices, and official-looking documents. They may also create a sense of urgency to prevent victims from checking whether a request is genuine. Learning how scammers imitate legitimate business communications can help you recognize warning signs before disclosing personal information or making a payment.

Be especially careful with unexpected employment offers, payment instructions, account-security alerts, invoices, certificates, contracts, and requests to purchase gift cards or transfer cryptocurrency. A professionally designed PDF or familiar company logo does not prove that the sender or document is genuine. Understanding the risks of company letterhead misuse and the importance of secure document authentication can help individuals and businesses identify forged or altered correspondence.

Before acting on an important message, independently contact the organization using the phone number or website you locate yourself—not the contact information supplied in the suspicious message. Businesses can further protect their customers and reputations by adopting verifiable business communication practices that allow recipients to confirm whether correspondence is authentic. If you have already experienced financial loss or identity theft, follow the step-by-step recovery and reporting instructions below.

1. Stop Further Losses

1. Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger, if threats are being made or if a crime is currently in progress.

2. Stop communicating with the suspected fraudster. Do not send additional money, cryptocurrency, gift cards, verification codes or identity documents.

3. Contact the bank, credit union, card issuer, cryptocurrency exchange, payment application, wire-transfer service or other company used to send the money.

4. Ask whether the payment can be stopped, recalled, reversed or disputed. Speed is especially important with wire transfers, payment applications and cryptocurrency transactions.

5. Block or replace compromised cards and secure affected financial accounts.

6. Change passwords and PINs. Begin with your email, financial, telephone and government accounts. Use unique passwords and enable multifactor authentication.

7. Preserve documents, receipts, emails, text messages, website addresses, advertisements, account names, telephone numbers, payment records, cryptocurrency addresses and shipping information.

8. Write down what happened, including the dates, amounts, payment methods and personal information disclosed.

9. Report the incident through the appropriate federal reporting system and to your local police or sheriff’s office.

10. Do not pay an individual or company that guarantees recovery of your money. The FBI IC3, FTC and other government agencies will not charge a fee to recover fraud losses.

2. Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider

Contact every bank, credit union, card issuer or payment provider involved immediately.

Use contact information from the back of your card, the institution’s official application, your account statement or its verified website. Do not use a telephone number or link supplied by the suspected fraudster.

Ask the institution to:

• Block or replace compromised debit and credit cards.
• Secure or temporarily restrict affected accounts.
• Reset online and telephone banking credentials.
• Investigate unauthorized transactions.
• Attempt to stop, recall or reverse transfers.
• Explain applicable dispute and error-resolution procedures.
• Provide a fraud case or reference number.
• Send written confirmation of the report where available.

If the fraud involved a payment application, cryptocurrency exchange, gift card, wire-transfer service or online marketplace, report the transaction to that company immediately.

Written follow-up may be required. Keep copies of correspondence and record the date, representative’s name and case number for every conversation.

Your rights and potential liability may depend on the payment method and how quickly the loss or unauthorized transaction is reported. Do not delay while collecting every document.

3. Report the Fraud to Police

Report the incident to the local police department or sheriff’s office where the crime occurred. Use the agency’s non-emergency number unless there is immediate danger.

Request a police report or incident number. Ask how to obtain a copy because financial institutions, credit bureaus, insurance companies and other organizations may request it.

Provide copies of relevant documents and transaction records, but keep the originals whenever possible.

Update the police report if you discover additional fraudulent accounts, transactions or identity misuse.

Call 911 only for emergencies, immediate threats or crimes currently in progress.

4. Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud

Report internet-enabled fraud, cybercrime, business email compromise, ransomware, account intrusion, online extortion, cryptocurrency fraud and other cyber-enabled crimes to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Provide names, email addresses, telephone numbers, website addresses, social-media accounts, financial account information, transaction details, cryptocurrency wallet addresses and supporting documents where available.

Keep the IC3 complaint number and a copy of the submitted information for your records. An IC3 submission may be referred to federal, state, local or international law-enforcement agencies.

Only use the official websites IC3.gov and complaint.ic3.gov. IC3 does not demand payment to file a complaint or recover stolen money.

5. Protect Your Identity

1. Report identity theft at https://www.identitytheft.gov/.

2. Follow the personalized recovery plan and save your FTC Identity Theft Report.

3. Contact the fraud departments of companies where accounts were opened, changed or used without authorization. Ask them to close or secure affected accounts.

4. Change passwords for email, banking, credit-card, telephone, shopping, government and social-media accounts. Enable multifactor authentication.

5. Place a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You must contact each credit bureau separately for a freeze.

6. Place a fraud alert on your credit files. Contacting one nationwide credit bureau for a fraud alert is sufficient because it must notify the other two.

7. Obtain and review your credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. Dispute unfamiliar accounts, addresses and inquiries.

8. Report fraudulent debts and accounts to the companies involved. Ask for written confirmation that you are not responsible.

9. If tax information was stolen or a fraudulent return was filed, follow the IRS identity-theft instructions.

10. If your Social Security number was stolen, report the identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov. Report fraud involving Social Security programs or SSA impersonation to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.

11. Continue monitoring financial statements, credit reports, government accounts, insurance records and mail for further misuse.

6. Protect Your Credit

Equifax
Fraud alerts and credit assistance: 1-800-685-1111
Fraud alert: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-fraud-alerts/
Credit freeze: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/

Experian
Fraud center: 1-888-397-3742
Fraud alert: https://www.experian.com/fraud/center.html
Credit freeze: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html

TransUnion
Fraud alerts and credit freeze: 1-888-909-8872
Fraud alert: https://www.transunion.com/fraud-alerts
Credit freeze: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

Official free credit reports
Website: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/
Telephone: 1-877-322-8228

For a fraud alert, contact any one of the three nationwide credit bureaus. That bureau must notify the other two.

For a credit freeze, contact all three bureaus separately. A freeze can help prevent new credit accounts from being opened, but it does not stop fraudulent activity on existing accounts.

Review all three credit reports and dispute unfamiliar accounts, balances, addresses and credit inquiries.

7. Consumer-Protection Resources

Federal Trade Commission
Report scams, fraud and dishonest business practices:
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

State consumer protection office
Find the office responsible for consumer complaints in your state:
https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer

State attorney general
Find your state or territory’s attorney general:
https://www.usa.gov/state-attorney-general

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Submit complaints involving bank accounts, credit cards, credit reports, debt collection, mortgages, loans, money transfers and other financial products:
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Securities and Exchange Commission
Report suspected investment fraud, Ponzi schemes, unregistered securities, misleading investment offers and misconduct by investment professionals:
https://www.sec.gov/submit-tip-or-complaint

Online purchase complaints
Find reporting options for problems involving online sellers:
https://www.usa.gov/online-purchase-complaints

These consumer complaints do not replace reporting criminal fraud to local law enforcement.

8. Employment and Immigration Fraud

Employment fraud may involve fake job advertisements, impersonated employers, counterfeit checks, reshipping work, requests to purchase equipment, advance fees or demands for personal and banking information.

A legitimate employer should not require an applicant to pay for a job, purchase gift cards, deposit a check and return part of the money, receive and forward payments through a personal bank account or reship packages obtained through questionable transactions.

Preserve the job posting, offer letter, email headers, interview messages, telephone numbers, payment instructions and names used by the recruiter.

Report job scams to the FTC:
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

FTC job-scam information:
https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams

Report unemployment identity fraud through the appropriate state unemployment agency:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/UIIDtheft

Report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS:
https://www.uscis.gov/report-fraud/uscis-tip-form

Information about reporting immigration scams:
https://www.uscis.gov/scams-fraud-and-misconduct/avoid-scams/report-immigration-scams

Only licensed attorneys and Department of Justice-accredited representatives working for recognized organizations are authorized to provide immigration legal advice. Verify anyone offering immigration services and be cautious of guaranteed results, unofficial websites and requests for unusual payment methods.

If money or personal information was stolen through an employment or immigration scam, also notify your financial institution, the FTC and local law enforcement.

Official Contacts and Telephone Numbers

Emergency police, fire or ambulance:
911

Federal Trade Commission – fraud and scams:
1-877-382-4357
TTY: 1-866-653-4261
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

Federal Trade Commission – identity theft:
1-877-438-4338
https://www.identitytheft.gov/

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center:
https://www.ic3.gov/
https://complaint.ic3.gov/

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:
1-855-411-2372
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/

Equifax:
1-800-685-1111

Experian:
1-888-397-3742

TransUnion:
1-888-909-8872

Annual Credit Report:
1-877-322-8228
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/

Social Security Administration OIG Fraud Hotline:
1-800-269-0271
https://oig.ssa.gov/report/

IRS fraud and tax-related identity theft:
https://www.irs.gov/help/report-fraud

USCIS Contact Center:
1-800-375-5283
https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter

National Elder Fraud Hotline:
1-833-FRAUD-11
1-833-372-8311

Report the Fraud

Federal Trade Commission

National fraud-reporting website → Cybercrime reporting website →

Official Sources

Received a suspicious business document?

Check whether a document issued through VerifiableLetter is authentic.

Verify a Suspicious Document Visit the Community Support Centre

Important: This guide provides general information for people affected by fraud in the United States. It is not legal, financial or emergency advice and does not guarantee the recovery of money or property. Reporting procedures, telephone numbers and legal rights may change and can vary by state. Confirm instructions through the linked official organizations. Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger. Filing a report with a federal agency does not necessarily replace reporting the incident to local police or a sheriff’s office.