Fraud reporting guide

How to report a scam

2 min readPractical safety guide

If money, credentials or personal information were exposed, protect the account or payment method first. Then preserve useful evidence and report the incident to the relevant platform, financial provider and national fraud or cybercrime authority. Reporting routes differ by country, so use official government or police resources for your location.

1. Protect money and accounts first

Contact the bank, card issuer, exchange, marketplace or payment provider through an official channel. Ask what can be frozen, recalled, disputed or secured.

2. Preserve evidence

Keep screenshots, sender addresses, phone numbers, URLs, transaction references, wallet addresses, usernames and timestamps. Do not keep interacting with the scammer just to collect more evidence.

3. Report the account or content to the platform

Email providers, social networks, marketplaces, dating apps and messaging services can investigate accounts and remove malicious content when reports contain enough context.

4. Use the official fraud-reporting channel for your country

Government, police and national cybercrime reporting systems vary by jurisdiction. Search for the official public service rather than using a recovery company that contacts you unsolicited.

5. Watch for recovery scams

Victim lists can be reused. A second scammer may promise to recover lost money, crypto or accounts for an upfront fee. Treat unsolicited recovery offers as another warning sign.

Sources

Primary prevention references

Check suspicious links and sender addresses

Use the same homepage field for a URL or email address.

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