Act in this order: contact the bank, card issuer, or payment service through a trusted phone number or app; ask it to secure the account and address the specific transaction; preserve original records; then report the incident to the government channel that fits it. For U.S. cyber-enabled crime, that usually means the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3); consumer fraud and identity theft can also be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), while urgent danger belongs with 911 or local police.
Do not wait to assemble a perfect file before alerting the institution that controls your money. Recovery options and provider deadlines depend on the payment rail, account agreement, and jurisdiction. This guide reflects U.S. federal guidance; readers elsewhere should use their local financial institution and official reporting authority.
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What to do first when you discover online fraud
The first call is to the institution connected to the money or account: your bank, card issuer, brokerage, wire service, cryptocurrency platform, or other payment provider. Use a number printed on a card or statement, the provider’s official app, or a website address you already know is genuine. Do not use a phone number, QR code, or link supplied by the suspected scammer.
- Tell the institution what happened. Give the date and time, the transaction or account involved, the amount, the recipient, and how you noticed the problem. Explain whether you authorized anything, were deceived into authorizing it, or see an entirely unauthorized transaction.
- Ask for account protection. Request the appropriate action for the account and payment type, such as blocking or replacing a card, changing online-banking credentials, stopping pending transfers, recalling a wire where possible, or opening a fraud dispute. Ask what documentation and deadlines apply.
- Record the contact. Write down the date, time, department, representative’s name or identification number if provided, case number, instructions, and any promised follow-up. Keep copies of messages and forms you submit.
- Continue with evidence preservation and official reporting. A government complaint does not replace the institution’s dispute or security process.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) advises using trusted contact information. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) likewise says to contact the financial institution immediately when a card or bank account is involved. CFPB’s warning is direct: “Real government agencies and financial institutions do not threaten you or ask you to send money to ‘protect it’.” Read its guidance at Who do I contact for help with a scam or fraud?.
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Secure exposed accounts and identity information
Ask the affected provider which security steps apply instead of guessing. If a password, authentication code, payment-card number, bank credential, Social Security number, or other identity data was exposed, change affected credentials using a clean device and do not reuse the compromised password. Review account activity and alerts for additional unauthorized changes.
For identity-theft exposure, the CFTC lists fraud alerts or credit freezes and reporting stolen identity information through IdentityTheft.gov among possible actions. The correct remedy depends on what information was exposed and where you live. Preserve evidence before deleting accounts or resetting devices if doing so could destroy useful records; when safety requires an immediate reset, first capture the information you can safely retain.
Preserve evidence before it disappears
Keep original records in a secure location and work from copies when annotating or organizing them. Do not edit screenshots, crop away identifying details, or overwrite original files. Preserve the surrounding context and note how each item was obtained.
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- Bank, card, brokerage, payment-service, wire, and cryptocurrency statements.
- Transaction receipts, canceled checks, wire confirmations, wallet addresses, blockchain transaction hashes, and payment-provider reference numbers.
- The account number or identifier involved, transaction date and time, amount, currency, recipient, and status (pending, completed, reversed, or disputed).
- Letters, secure messages, dispute forms, and case numbers from the institution.
Communications and digital traces
- Emails in their original form, including full headers where available. Save the message file rather than only a screenshot.
- Text messages, direct messages, chat transcripts, and voicemail files, with the sender’s username, phone number, profile URL, and timestamps.
- Electronic copies or print-to-PDF versions of webpages, advertisements, invoices, portals, and login pages. Preserve the complete URL, including unusual subdomains or paths.
- Telephone records and service-provider records showing calls, dates, times, and numbers.
- Usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, domain names, cryptocurrency metadata, and other technical details you actually know.
Build a simple incident timeline
Create a chronological list with the first contact, each message or call, links opened, information supplied, payment attempts, account alerts, discovery of the fraud, and every report or provider contact. Use the time zone shown by the relevant service and label estimates as estimates. Separate facts from assumptions; write “I do not know” rather than filling gaps with a guess.
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IC3’s complaint form says to retain originals. Its FAQ states, “IC3 does not collect evidence regarding complaints, nor do we accept attachments.” That means you should not discard records because an online form has no upload field. Keep the originals securely so an investigating agency or financial institution can request them directly.
Which reporting destination fits your incident?
There is no single U.S. destination for every fraud. The institution controls the immediate financial-protection process; government reports provide law-enforcement or consumer-protection intelligence. You may need more than one route.
| Destination | Primary purpose | Use it for | Urgency and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your bank, card issuer, or payment provider | Secure the account and handle a transaction dispute or recovery request | Unauthorized charges, deceptive transfers, compromised credentials, card or account exposure, and payment-platform fraud | Contact promptly through a trusted channel. Provider rules and deadlines vary; a government complaint does not substitute for this step. |
| FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Central intake for suspected U.S. cyber-enabled crime | Online scams, account takeovers, malicious websites, digital extortion, cryptocurrency schemes, and related internet-enabled conduct | Complaints may be reviewed and referred. IC3 does not investigate cases itself, provide status, or promise an individual response or recovery. |
| Federal Trade Commission (FTC) | Consumer-fraud and identity-theft reporting and education | Fraud aimed at consumers, identity theft, impersonation, and related scams | Use the FTC route that matches the incident. An FTC report is not a transaction-dispute filing with your bank. |
| Local police or sheriff; state authority | Local incident response and law-enforcement intake | Immediate danger, a local suspect or victim, threats, stolen identity documentation, or matters requiring a local report; state attorneys general may handle state consumer complaints | Call 911 for immediate danger. For time-sensitive transfers, contact local law enforcement directly; investigation and prosecution decisions rest with the receiving agency. |
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Report Fraud page and USAGov’s Report a crime guidance help identify additional appropriate authorities. Choose the route based on the incident, not on which form is easiest. Filing one report does not guarantee an investigation, a freeze, reimbursement, prosecution, or recovery.
How to file an IC3 complaint
Use the IC3 complaint form for suspected internet-enabled crime. Prepare your facts first, then enter them accurately and specifically.
Information IC3 asks for
- Complainant details: your name and contact information so agencies can identify the reporting person.
- Financial loss and transaction data: account or platform, date, amount, recipient, payment method, and transaction identifiers.
- Subject information: the person or organization’s name, email, phone number, website, social-media handle, physical address, and IP address if known.
- Narrative: a clear, chronological explanation of what happened, what you believed at the time, what you sent or authorized, and when you discovered the deception.
- Technical details: email headers, cryptocurrency transaction metadata, URLs, domains, and other relevant identifiers when available.
State what you directly observed and mark uncertainty honestly. Do not accuse an uninvolved person simply because a name or account appeared in a message. Include enough detail for agencies to connect your complaint to related activity, but do not expose additional victims’ private information unless it is relevant and you are authorized to share it.
Save the submission immediately
After submitting, save or print the complaint and confirmation page at once. IC3 says this is the only opportunity to retain a copy and that it will not email or send an electronic version later. Store the copy with your timeline and the case number.
If you obtain new information after submitting, IC3’s FAQ instructs you to file a new complaint and identify that it adds information to the earlier report. Do not alter the original records to insert the new detail.
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Consumer fraud or identity theft
Report consumer fraud and identity theft through the FTC’s official consumer channels. If you need a police report for an identity-theft request, FTC consumer advice says to bring identification, an FTC Identity Theft Report, and information about the incident when you report to police. Follow the police department’s local procedures and keep the report number.
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Immediate danger or a time-sensitive transfer
Call 911 or local police when someone is in immediate danger. For a rapidly moving wire, payment, or cryptocurrency transfer, contact the financial institution and local law enforcement directly rather than waiting for an online complaint to be reviewed. Tell each recipient exactly why the matter is urgent and provide the transaction identifier.
IC3 explains that investigation and prosecution decisions belong to the receiving agencies. A complaint can contribute to a broader intelligence picture without producing a personal status update. Do not delay a provider’s fraud process while waiting for an agency response.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Requesting identity-theft transaction records in the United States
U.S. identity-theft victims may have a specific right to obtain records supporting fraudulent transactions. Under Fair Credit Reporting Act Section 609(e), qualifying businesses generally must provide certain transaction records within 30 days after receiving a written request. The FTC describes records that may include applications and business transaction records connected to the identity theft.
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This rule has defined conditions and exceptions, including an exception for internet navigational data. It is not a blanket right to every record, and it does not apply automatically in every country or every type of fraud. The FTC’s business guidance explains the scope at Businesses Must Provide Victims and Law Enforcement with Transaction Records Relating to Identity Theft.
What a written request may require
The FTC notes that a business may require proof of identity, a police report, and an affidavit. Send the request in writing using a delivery method that creates a record, identify the fraudulent account or transaction as precisely as possible, and keep a copy of everything sent and received. The FTC’s consumer explanation, Want to know who stole your identity? Getting your records can help, describes the process and documents to gather.
How to organize an evidence packet
Although IC3 does not accept attachments, a well-organized packet helps when a bank, police department, or investigator asks for supporting material.
- Create a master index. Number each item and describe it in one line, such as “03—wire receipt, 15 October 2026, recipient account ending 4821.”
- Keep originals untouched. Store original email files, exports, PDFs, photographs, recordings, and statements in a read-only or otherwise protected folder. Work from duplicates for highlighting or notes.
- Preserve metadata where practical. Keep full email headers, original filenames, timestamps, URLs, and transaction hashes. If a service only permits a screenshot, retain the screenshot and record the page address and capture time.
- Separate facts from analysis. Put your timeline and factual account first; place hypotheses in a clearly labeled notes section.
- Protect sensitive data. Limit access, use strong unique credentials, and share only through the secure method the requesting institution or agency specifies. Do not post evidence publicly.
Common mistakes that weaken a report
- Using contact details supplied by the scammer: independently verify every bank, agency, or payment-service contact method.
- Waiting for certainty: report suspected fraud promptly and explain what remains uncertain.
- Deleting the conversation: preserve messages, headers, URLs, and account identifiers before blocking or reporting the sender.
- Sending originals with an online form: retain originals; IC3 does not accept attachments.
- Assuming a government report reverses a payment: only the institution handling the payment can explain its dispute, recall, or freeze options.
- Overstating what happened: distinguish an unauthorized transaction from one you authorized after deception, and identify estimates as estimates.
- Failing to save a confirmation: IC3 says its submission page is the only opportunity to retain a copy.
- Ignoring new information: file a new IC3 complaint that identifies the earlier submission when you need to add material.
What happens after you report
IC3 complaints are reviewed and may be referred to law-enforcement or partner agencies as appropriate. IC3 does not conduct the investigation itself, provide investigation status, or promise an individual response. Other agencies make their own decisions about jurisdiction, investigation, prosecution, and communication.
Reports can help authorities connect victims, accounts, domains, and tactics, but no report guarantees a freeze, reversal, reimbursement, prosecution, or recovery. Keep working with the affected financial institution and follow its requests for declarations, records, identity verification, and deadlines.
If you are outside the United States
The agencies and FCRA right described here are U.S.-specific. Other countries may have different police, cybercrime, consumer-protection, privacy, and payment-dispute channels, as well as different reporting deadlines. Contact the institution that controls the payment first, then use your national cybercrime or consumer-protection authority and local police. Ask which evidence format, translation, identification, and retention rules apply in your jurisdiction.
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