Immediate Action

1 – Call your bank or credit card company if someone scammed money from you.

2 – Change your password if you shared it.

3 – Call someone you trust, such as a family member or a friend.

Where to Report the Scam

Even if you didn’t lose money, reporting the scam helps others avoid the same trap. Here’s where you can report:

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  Tracks fraud and shares info with law enforcement.
  Website: reportfraud.ftc.gov
  Phone: 1-877-382-4357 (Mon–Fri, 9am–8pm ET)
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
  Handles online scams, phishing, and internet fraud.
  Website: ic3.gov
• USA.gov Scam Assistance
  Central source for scams, fraud, and recovery resources.
  Website: usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds
  Phone: 1-844-USA-GOV1 (1-844-872-4681)
• U.S. Department of Justice – Elder Justice Initiative
  Supports victims of elder scams and abuse.
  Website: justice.gov/elderjustice
  Phone: Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311)
• Area Agency on Aging
  Local help and counseling for seniors.
  Website: eldercare.acl.gov
  Phone: 1-800-677-1116

Where to Report by Scam Type

Note: for large-loss financial-crime cases (especially impersonation schemes involving wire transfers, gold-bar pickups, or cryptocurrency), the U.S. Secret Service investigates alongside the FBI. See their Elder Fraud page and report through their nearest field office.

Different scam types are best reported to different agencies. Filing in more than one place is fine — and often helps build the case against the operators.

Scam Type	Primary Place to Report	Also Report To
Investment scam / pig butchering / crypto	SEC tips at sec.gov/tcr + FBI IC3	State securities regulator, the crypto exchange’s fraud team
Romance scam	FBI IC3 (ic3.gov)	FTC ReportFraud, the dating platform’s abuse channel
Tech support scam	FBI IC3 + FTC ReportFraud	Microsoft, Apple, or the impersonated brand’s abuse channel
IRS / SSA / Medicare impersonation	Impersonated agency: oig.ssa.gov/scam (SSA), [email protected] (IRS), 1-800-MEDICARE	FBI IC3, your state Attorney General
Extortion / sextortion / digital arrest	FBI IC3 (mention “digital arrest” or “sextortion”)	Local police on non-emergency line; 911 if threatened
Lottery / sweepstakes / inheritance	USPIS (if by mail) + FBI IC3	FTC ReportFraud, your state AG
AI voice cloning / deepfake	FBI IC3 (specifically mention AI involvement)	FTC ReportFraud, local police
Identity theft	FTC IdentityTheft.gov (creates a recovery plan)	Police report, credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion)
Payment-method fraud (wire, gift card, Zelle, ACH)	The payment rail directly: your bank’s fraud line, the gift-card brand, Zelle support	FBI IC3, FTC ReportFraud

State-by-State Reporting Resources

Each state has its own Attorney General and Adult Protective Services who handle fraud complaints. Find your state below for local contacts, reporting guides, and state-specific resources:

Each state page includes your State Attorney General contact, Adult Protective Services hotline, local police fraud units, and step-by-step reporting instructions.

Real Cases Where Reporting Led to Recovery

Filing a fraud report often feels futile — you may not hear back, and recovery rates are low (across reported elder financial-exploitation cases, only about 5% see any money recovered, per CFPB analysis). But reports build the evidence base that powers prosecutions. Three recent cases show what reporting can produce:

DOJ “Save Our Seniors” initiative — $11 million traced, 139 victims (Sept. 2025)

U.S. Attorneys announced a coordinated initiative that uncovered $11 million in actual and attempted losses across 139 victims in tech-support and grandparent scams. Two money mules in western New York were charged with wire fraud. Named victims included an 81-year-old man defrauded of $38,000 in a fake Microsoft refund scam and a 68-year-old Buffalo woman who lost nearly $20,000. The cases were built on victim reports filed at ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov. Source: WKYC / U.S. Attorney WDNY, Sept. 19, 2025.

Carlsbad, CA gold-bar scam — $1.49 million case ended with two guilty pleas (Dec. 2025)

A Carlsbad woman lost $1.49 million in a tech-support / government-impersonation scam that converted her savings to gold bars handed to couriers. She reported the fraud to Carlsbad police, who looped in the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and the FBI. The FBI ran a sting operation on the final $100,000 pickup, and obtained two guilty pleas. The case began with a single victim report. Source: CBS 8 San Diego, Dec. 4, 2025.

Pennsylvania state hearing — reporting led to legislation (Mar. 2026)

After a Pennsylvania state representative’s own mother was defrauded of $40,000 over two years, victim reports across the state revealed $76 million in 2025 senior scam losses across more than 4,000 complaints. A House Majority Policy Committee hearing in March 2026 — directly tied to those filed reports — advanced state-level victim-support legislation. Source: Warminster Patch, Mar. 1, 2026.

Even if you never see your money back, your report contributes to investigations that protect other older adults.

Helpful Tip

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, ask a trusted family member or friend to help you make these calls or fill out the online forms.

What Happens Next?

• You may receive an email confirmation from the agency you reported to.
• They may not respond individually, but your report helps track scam patterns.
• Keep copies of everything you submit (screenshots or printouts).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• 🟥 Don’t pay anyone promising to “recover” your lost funds.
• 🟥 Don’t click on suspicious links sent after the incident.
• 🟥 Don’t delay. Quick action is key to limiting damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to the questions older adults, families, and caregivers most often ask about reporting scams.

Where do I report an online scam?

Report to all of: (1) the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311); (2) FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov); (3) FTC ReportFraud (reportfraud.ftc.gov); (4) your state Attorney General’s consumer protection division; and (5) your bank, card issuer, or payment service if money was lost. Filing in multiple places does not duplicate the report — each agency uses different information.

What is the National Elder Fraud Hotline?

The National Elder Fraud Hotline is run by the U.S. Department of Justice and provides free, confidential support to victims of fraud age 60 and older. The number is 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Counselors stay on the line with you to identify the type of fraud, document what happened, identify which agencies to file reports with, and connect you to victim-support resources. Available Monday–Friday.

How do I report a scam to the FBI?

File at ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. You will create a report with: the dates of the contact, the amount lost (if any), the scammer’s phone numbers / email addresses / website URLs, payment details (bank account, wire transfer reference, cryptocurrency wallet addresses), and a narrative of what happened. The FBI uses these reports to identify patterns and build cases against criminal networks.

How do I report a scam to the FTC?

File at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC tracks fraud nationally and shares your report with state and federal law enforcement, the Consumer Sentinel Network, and consumer-protection investigators. The FTC will not contact you individually but your report contributes to enforcement actions. You can also call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), Monday–Friday, 9am–8pm ET.

Can I report a scam anonymously?

Yes. Both the FBI IC3 and FTC ReportFraud allow you to file reports without providing personally identifying information — though giving your contact information helps investigators follow up if needed. The National Elder Fraud Hotline can also take anonymous calls, though they cannot place follow-up calls to anonymous reporters. Your name is never published or shared with the scammer.

What’s the difference between FBI IC3 and FTC ReportFraud?

FBI IC3 (ic3.gov) focuses on internet-enabled crime — scams involving websites, email, social media, online dating, or any digital channel. FTC ReportFraud (reportfraud.ftc.gov) tracks all consumer fraud regardless of channel (phone, mail, in-person, online). Best practice: file at both. Different agencies use different parts of your report. Filing twice is encouraged, not duplicated.

How do I report fraud in my state?

Every U.S. state has an Attorney General’s office with a consumer-protection or fraud-reporting division. Many states also have Adult Protective Services for elder financial abuse, and state-specific Senior Medicare Patrol (find your local SMP at smpresource.org or call 1-877-808-2468) programs for Medicare fraud. Find your state in the state-by-state list above on this page — each links to a page with your state AG’s contact, APS hotline, and local police fraud units.

What information do I need to report a scam?

The more, the better, but you can file with whatever you have. Useful: the scammer’s phone numbers, email addresses, social-media handles, and website URLs; payment receipts (bank wire, gift card numbers, cryptocurrency wallet addresses or transaction IDs, Zelle/Venmo confirmations); screenshots of texts, emails, dating profiles, or trading dashboards; the dates and times of contacts; and the amount lost. Save everything before deleting anything — including voicemails.

Will I get my money back if I report a scam?

Recovery is possible but not guaranteed. Across reported elder financial-exploitation cases, only about 5% see any money recovered (CFPB analysis), so prevention and fast action matter most. Recovery is fastest with fraudulent ACH/wire transfers reported to your bank within 24–72 hours. Cryptocurrency transactions are particularly hard to reverse once confirmed on the blockchain. Beware any “recovery firm” that contacts you unsolicited or asks for an upfront fee — that is a second-stage scam. Legitimate recovery goes through ic3.gov and the FTC, both free.

How do I report identity theft?

File at IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC’s dedicated identity-theft portal. It builds you a custom recovery plan: filing a police report, placing fraud alerts and credit freezes with Equifax/Experian/TransUnion, contacting affected companies, and tracking your recovery steps. Add to this: file at FBI IC3 if the theft involved online elements, and contact your state Attorney General. If your Social Security number was used, also notify the SSA Office of Inspector General.

---

Want to keep this page? You can download a printable version here (PDF).

Methodology & sources: Reporting agencies and phone numbers verified against FBI IC3 (ic3.gov), FTC (ftc.gov), DOJ Elder Justice (justice.gov/elderjustice), and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov). Recovery statistics from FBI IC3 Annual Reports. Case examples from public court records and verified news coverage. Last refreshed against sources: May 16, 2026. Corrections: [email protected].

Not sure what a term means? Our Scam & Cybersecurity Glossary explains 77 common scam and cybersecurity terms in plain English.

The national picture. These scams are part of a much bigger story. In 2025, Americans 60 and older reported losing $7.748 billion to online fraud across 201,266 victims. Read Stolen Trust, our 2026 special study that maps the full elder-fraud landscape, with five years of FBI data and one practical plan to fix it.