Fraud Cleanup

How to File an FBI Fraud Report at ic3.gov

The FBI takes fraud reports through its Internet Crime Complaint Center. Here is who can file, what to include, and what happens after.

You got scammed and want the FBI to know. The place to start is the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as the IC3. Its website is ic3.gov, and that is where an FBI fraud report begins.

Where the FBI takes fraud reports

The IC3 is the FBI's central repository. It holds cyber-enabled crime complaints. It defines cyber-enabled crime as any illegal activity. Cyber-related means help carry out this crime.

So if you are wondering how to report a scam to the FBI, the answer is one website: ic3.gov. The complaint form is the way in.

Who can file an IC3 complaint

The IC3 says anyone who believes they are affected by a cyber-enabled crime may file a complaint. That includes citizens of another country.

The FBI also says to report a scam no matter the dollar amount. Do not skip filing because you think your loss was too small. Every report counts.

If the scam targeted someone older in your life, the FBI says to file an elder fraud complaint at the same place, ic3.gov. You can read more about elder fraud on its own page.

What the FBI says to include in your scam report

The FBI lists what a report should cover. Gather these before you sit down at the form:

  • Who the scammer claimed to be, when they contacted you, and the channel they used to reach you.
  • Every number, email, postal address, and site the scammer worked from.
  • How you paid and where the money went.
  • A description of your interactions with the scammer and the instructions you were given.

The complaint form asks for the total amount of your loss. Add it up before you start, so you are not guessing mid-form.

What to keep before you file

The FBI says to keep original documentation, emails, faxes, and logs of communications. Hold on to these even after you file.

One thing the IC3 does not take: attachments. The IC3 says it does not collect evidence regarding complaints and does not accept attachments. So you cannot attach the scammer's emails to the form. Describe them in the text instead, and keep the originals yourself.

What happens after you file

The IC3 says you will receive a message at the top of your filed complaint confirming it was successfully submitted. That confirmation is what you get.

The IC3 says trained analysts review the complaints. They research them too. Then they send information to law enforcement and partner agencies.

Here is the part to brace for. The IC3 says you will not hear from the IC3 after you file a complaint. No call, no email, no update.

The IC3 does not conduct investigations. It also cannot tell you the status of a complaint you filed before. It does not share details about specific complaints. It also does not say how those complaints were resolved. It cannot give information on a specific company either. So the IC3 cannot tell you whether anyone is working your case.

Two more limits on the form itself. The IC3 says once a complaint has been filed, it cannot be canceled. And if you have new information later, the IC3 says you need to file a new complaint to report it. You cannot add to the old one.

If you didn't lose money and just want to report a call

Maybe no money changed hands. You just want to report a call. The FTC's advice says if you didn't lose money and just want to report a call, visit DoNotCall.gov and fill out a reporting form.

The FTC's advice says to also report the date and time of the call, if you're able to. Your report is not wasted. The FTC looks at complaint data and trends. It uses them to spot illegal callers based on calling patterns. It takes the phone numbers you report and releases them to the public each business day. That helps phone companies. It also helps other partners. They work on call-blocking and call-labeling solutions. The FTC says your reports help law enforcement. They help identify the people behind illegal calls.

An IC3 complaint is one piece of recovery, not the whole thing. For a wider view of your options, see how can I report a scam.

If the scammer stole your identity, USAGov says to report it to the Federal Trade Commission online at IdentityTheft.gov or by phone. You can also report fraud FTC gov through the FTC's own site.

USAGov also says to report identity theft to the fraud department. Report it at your credit card issuers, bank, and other places where you have accounts.

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