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Use the workflow below to preserve useful evidence safely, select the right reporting path, and avoid the common mistake of treating one report as a complete response.
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Why reporting scam advice matters
Scam advice can look like ordinary investing, job, shopping, recovery-service, health, or technology content. A post may promise guaranteed returns, urge an immediate payment, impersonate a trusted organization, or send readers to a credential-stealing page. Reporting the individual item gives the platform a chance to review the exact material and gives authorities information about the broader operation.
The FTC said in an April 2026 release that consumers reported $2.1 billion in losses to scams that started on social media during 2025. It also said nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to a scam said the scam started on social media. Those are reported figures, not a census of every scam or every loss; unreported incidents are not included.
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FTC attorney Rosario Mendez explains the value of filing even when you do not see an immediate result: “Every time you file a report with the Federal Trade Commission you are helping us build cases, stop scammers, and also alert others about the current trends.”
First, preserve enough information to identify the item
Collect identifying details before reporting, but do not put yourself at risk to obtain them. A deleted post, changing username, or expiring story can make a later review difficult.
- Record the service where the material appeared: for example, a social network, a search results page, an advertising placement, or a video site.
- Note the account, channel, advertiser, or organization name exactly as displayed, including unusual punctuation or numbers.
- Save the post, video, ad, comment, or result URL when doing so is safe and lawful. Copy the visible wording of the claim and the destination domain.
- Write down the date and approximate time you saw it. Include your time zone if the timing could matter.
- Capture a screenshot that shows enough context to identify the item. Keep the original file unedited when possible.
- Describe why it appeared suspicious: impersonation, a request for payment, a phishing link, a false investment promise, a misleading advertisement, or another specific issue.
Do not click a suspicious link just to gather proof. If you already opened one, stop entering information, close the page, and use the appropriate account, payment, or security response rather than continuing to investigate the site yourself.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteChoose the reporting route that matches the content
More than one route may apply. Use the service’s own report control for the item, and use the FTC route separately for a U.S. consumer-fraud report. The table shows what each path is designed to do.
| Where or what you saw | Primary report | What the route addresses | Important limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social-media post, account, or direct message | The platform’s in-app report function | Platform policy review of the specific content or account | Menus and categories vary; a report is not a guaranteed takedown. |
| Search result that appears misleading or unsafe | Search-result feedback; use the webspam route for suspicious redirects | Search-quality or abuse review of the result or redirect | Google says it may not respond to feedback. |
| Phishing page or phishing advertisement | The applicable phishing reporting route | Review of a page or ad designed to steal information | A phishing report is different from ordinary search feedback. |
| Paid advertisement in a Google service | Report from the supported service, My Ad Center, Ads Transparency Center, or Google’s report-ad form | Advertising-policy review | Confirm that the placement is actually a Google ad before describing it as one. |
| YouTube video, comment, channel feature, or ad | YouTube’s report control for that item | Review under YouTube’s community or advertising guidelines | A report does not automatically remove content; a channel report does not mean every video is reviewed. |
| U.S. consumer scam or attempted fraud | ReportFraud.ftc.gov | FTC fraud intelligence, trend analysis, education, and potential enforcement work | The FTC’s social accounts do not officially collect complaints, and a report is not a reimbursement application. |
| Content that violates a legal right | The relevant product’s Google legal-reporting path | A legal-removal request for the specified product and issue | Legal reporting and policy reporting are separate; Google says each product requires its own report. |
Report a suspicious post or account on a social platform
For Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, or another social service, open the platform’s own reporting control from the exact post, video, comment, message, or profile. Select the closest category offered, such as scam, fraud, phishing, impersonation, spam, or misleading content. Current labels and menu locations differ by service and can change, so follow the platform’s current help instructions rather than assuming another service uses the same steps.
Report the item, not only the account
If one video, comment, or advertisement contains the scam, report that specific item first. An account-level report may not identify every offending post, and some services evaluate account and item reports differently. Include the account name and any related URL in the explanation when the form permits it.
Explain the concrete behavior
Short, factual descriptions are easier to evaluate than conclusions alone. State what the material claimed, what action it requested, and what makes it deceptive. For example: “This post impersonates a bank, promises a guaranteed return, and sends users to a domain that is not the bank’s domain.” Do not add passwords, one-time codes, payment-card numbers, or other sensitive data to a report.
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Do not engage with the scammer
Replying, sending a direct message, or clicking an attachment can expose more information and can signal that your account is active. Reporting does not require confrontation. If the platform offers a way to block or mute the account after submission, use it to reduce further contact.
Report scam advice found in Google Search
Ordinary search-result feedback
When a result itself appears deceptive or misleading, use the result’s More or Feedback control and describe the exact result. Include the query, the result title, the displayed domain, and the claim that raised concern. Search feedback is a review signal; Google says it may not send a response even when feedback is reviewed.
Suspicious redirects
If selecting a result sends you through an unexpected redirect, use Google’s webspam reporting route rather than relying only on ordinary feedback. Record the result URL and the final destination only if you can do so without continuing through unsafe pages. Never sign in or download a file to demonstrate the redirect.
Phishing pages
A page that imitates a bank, government service, payment provider, or another trusted organization belongs in the phishing reporting route. Describe the impersonated organization and the information the page requests. A phishing report is a different path from a general complaint about ranking or misleading wording.
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Report a scam advertisement in Google services
Paid placements have their own reporting options. Google describes reporting an ad directly from supported Google services, through My Ad Center, through the Ads Transparency Center, or with its report-ad form. Use the route that is available where you saw the ad.
Verify that it is an advertisement
Search pages can contain ordinary results, sponsored placements, maps listings, videos, and other features. Before calling something a Google ad in your report, check for the service’s ad indicator and note the advertiser name, headline, destination, and disclosure shown with the placement.
Describe the advertising violation
Identify the specific promise or representation: a guaranteed financial outcome, a fake affiliation, a request for credentials, or a destination that differs from the displayed advertiser. If the ad redirects, record the sequence without entering information. Google says it reviews ad reports and takes action when appropriate; that wording does not promise removal or a personal response.
Report a YouTube video, comment, channel feature, or ad
YouTube’s official reporting controls distinguish among videos, comments, channel features, and advertisements. Open the control attached to the exact item and provide the requested details. Select the category that best describes the problem, such as scams, fraud, spam, impersonation, or another applicable violation.
Video versus channel reporting
Use a video report when the scam appears in one video. Use a channel report when the channel itself presents the issue, and identify representative videos in the explanation if the form allows it. YouTube’s guidance makes clear that reporting a channel does not mean every video on it is automatically reviewed.
What happens after submission
YouTube says submitted reports are reviewed under its guidelines, but a report does not automatically take content down. A visible video may remain online while review occurs, or it may remain if reviewers do not find a violation. Treat the report as a policy-review request, not as an emergency removal mechanism.
File the separate FTC consumer-fraud report
For a U.S. consumer report, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC recommends reporting a scam both to the social or search service where you saw it and to the FTC. The FTC’s social-media accounts are not official complaint channels, so posting a reply or direct message to those accounts does not substitute for the form.
Information to include
- How you encountered the scam and which service displayed it.
- The account, advertiser, channel, website, phone number, email address, or payment handle involved.
- The claim made and the action requested.
- Dates, amounts, payment method, and transaction details if you lost money.
- URLs, screenshots, and messages that help identify the operation, provided they can be shared safely.
Keep copies of what you submit. The FTC says reports help it build cases, spot trends, and educate the public, but the form does not promise that an investigator will contact you or that your money will be returned.
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Understand what a report can—and cannot—do
It can create a review signal
A platform report routes information to the service’s moderation or advertising process. A government report contributes to fraud intelligence and enforcement analysis. Those systems may combine reports from many people to identify a campaign, domain, account network, or recurring script.
It is not an automatic takedown
Platforms apply their own rules and review processes. YouTube explicitly says reported content is not automatically removed, and Google notes that search feedback may not receive a response. Silence after submission does not prove that a report was ignored, but it also is not evidence that action was taken.
It is not a legal judgment
A policy report asks a service to evaluate its rules. A legal report asks for action under a particular legal process. Google treats content-policy reporting and legal reporting as distinct routes and says separate reports are required for each product where the material appears.
It is not a recovery process
If money or account access is already at risk, reporting should happen alongside the relevant response: contact your bank or payment service, use the affected account’s recovery and security tools, and contact law enforcement when appropriate. The correct action depends on the payment method, account, location, and timing; a platform or FTC report alone does not freeze a transaction or restore access.
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- Stop interacting. Do not click further, reply, send codes, or provide additional payment or identity information.
- Preserve identifiers. Save the account or advertiser name, item URL, screenshots, date, claim, and destination domain when safe.
- Classify the item. Decide whether it is a social post, search result, sponsored ad, phishing page, redirect, YouTube item, or account-wide problem.
- Submit the platform report. Use the control attached to the exact item and choose the closest available category.
- Submit the FTC report. For a U.S. consumer scam, file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; do not use FTC social accounts as a complaint channel.
- Add a legal report when appropriate. If the issue concerns a legal right or removal request, use the product-specific legal path in addition to any policy report.
- Protect yourself afterward. Contact the bank, payment provider, account-recovery team, or law-enforcement agency that fits the incident.
- Keep the submission records. Store confirmation screens, reference numbers, copies of your description, and the original evidence.
Common mistakes that weaken a scam report
- Reporting only the profile: the specific video, post, comment, or ad may need its own report.
- Calling every result an ad: distinguish sponsored placements from ordinary search results before selecting an advertising route.
- Using one category for everything: phishing, impersonation, spam, misleading advertising, and fraud may be evaluated by different teams.
- Submitting sensitive evidence: redact passwords, authentication codes, full payment-card numbers, and identity-document numbers.
- Continuing the conversation: engagement can expose you to more malicious links and gives the scammer more information.
- Expecting a visible response: Google may not reply to search feedback, and a YouTube report is not an automatic takedown.
- Assuming a report recovers funds: payment disputes and account recovery require separate, time-sensitive contacts.
- Posting the scammer’s link publicly: repeated sharing can drive more people to the same destination; provide the URL privately through the official form instead.
What to do if you already paid or disclosed account information
Prioritize containment over further evidence gathering. Contact the bank, card issuer, payment service, or money-transfer provider through an official channel and ask what protective or dispute options apply. Change exposed passwords from a trusted device, enable multifactor authentication where available, and review account sessions and recovery details. If a work or school account is involved, notify its administrator. Preserve transaction records and messages for those contacts and for your FTC report.
If the scam involved threats, identity documents, large losses, or an ongoing attack, contact the appropriate law-enforcement or specialist response service in your jurisdiction. The platform and FTC routes remain useful for reporting intelligence, but they do not replace urgent financial or account-security action.
Bottom line for reporting scam advice
Use the report control attached to the exact item, match the route to the content type, and file a separate report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov for a U.S. consumer scam. Preserve identifiers without clicking unsafe links, report videos and comments individually when they are the problem, and keep expectations realistic: reporting supports review and enforcement intelligence, not guaranteed removal, a legal ruling, or reimbursement.
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