If you suspect an investment scam, report a possible federal securities-law violation through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Tips, Complaints & Referrals (TCR) portal. Use the SEC Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) complaint form instead when the immediate problem is an investment account, broker, adviser, brokerage firm, or other financial professional. Depending on what happened, you may also need the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a state securities regulator, or local law enforcement.
Stop communicating with the suspected fraudster and do not send additional money while you preserve records and file reports. A report gives agencies information; it does not guarantee an investigation, prosecution, compensation, or recovery of your funds.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Choose the reporting route by what happened
No single agency handles every investment scam. Select the primary route by the product involved, the conduct you suspect, and what you need the report to accomplish. You can make more than one report when the facts overlap, but each agency uses its own jurisdiction and process.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
| Situation | Primary route | What that route is for |
|---|---|---|
| Fraudulent or unregistered securities offering, Ponzi scheme, theft or misappropriation of funds or securities, insider trading, market manipulation, or misleading company statements | SEC Tips, Complaints & Referrals (TCR) | Information about possible federal securities-law violations; the SEC accepts tips from whistleblowers and non-whistleblowers. |
| Problem with an investment account, investment, broker, brokerage firm, investment adviser, or other financial professional | SEC Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) complaint form | Investor assistance and complaints. OIEA may forward a complaint to a firm if you consent. |
| General consumer investment scam or other consumer fraud | Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov | Consumer-fraud reporting and information for federal enforcement and trend analysis. |
| Personal information misused in connection with the scam | IdentityTheft.gov | Identity-theft reporting and recovery guidance. |
| Precious-metals, commodities, futures, options, swaps, or other derivatives fraud | Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) | Commodity and derivatives complaints, tips, and whistleblower channels. |
| Online business or investment fraud | FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at IC3.gov | Criminal reporting for internet-enabled fraud. |
| Suspicious securities offer or financial professional operating in a state | Your state securities regulator, using the directory route provided by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) | State licensing, registration, and enforcement matters. |
| Immediate local danger, suspected crime, or a need for a police report | Local police or sheriff; your state attorney general may also be appropriate | Local or state criminal and consumer-protection response. |
These channels are complementary, not interchangeable. A consumer report to the FTC is not the same as an SEC enforcement tip, and an SEC complaint about account service is not the same as a TCR submission alleging securities-law wrongdoing.
#1 Best Overall
- [Ultra-Lightweight Ear Buds Designed for Small Ears] Each earbud weighs only 3.7g and features a compact, ergonomic in-ear design made especially for small ears. Secure, low-profile, and comfortable for workouts, all-day wear or overnight sleeping.The ultra-slim profile sits flush in your ear with no hard edges poking or rubbing, so you can even sleep on your side without discomfort.
- [Immersive Stereo Sound with TOZO OrigX Technology] TOZO OrigX tuning delivers clear vocals, balanced mids, and natural stereo sound for music, podcasts, and videos.
- [Long Battery Life for Daily Use] Get up to 7 hours of playtime on a single charge, with up to 32 hours total using the charging case—ideal for workdays, commuting, and extended listening sessions.
- [Bluetooth 5.3 & Stable Connection] Bluetooth 5.3 provides fast pairing, stable wireless performance, and reduced dropouts as you move around home or office.
- [Deep Bass with Clear Vocals] High-performance drivers produce punchy bass while keeping vocals clean and detailed for everyday listening.
When to use the SEC TCR portal
Use the SEC’s TCR portal when the facts suggest a violation of federal securities laws. Examples include a company selling investments without required registration, a Ponzi or other investment fraud, someone taking or misusing investor money or securities, insider trading, market manipulation, or materially misleading statements by a company.
Who can submit
The SEC encourages both whistleblowers and people who are not seeking whistleblower status to submit relevant information. You do not need to be an employee or insider to report suspected misconduct.
What to include
- The name of the person, company, website, app, fund, or offering involved.
- What was promised, what you paid or transferred, and what you received, if anything.
- Dates, amounts, account or wallet details, payment method, and the names or contact information used.
- How you learned about the opportunity and why you believe the conduct may violate securities laws.
- Names of other affected people or witnesses, if you can provide them lawfully.
- Copies of messages, contracts, statements, promotional material, transaction records, and screenshots. Keep originals.
After submitting
An online TCR submission produces a confirmation and submission number. Save both in a secure place. Use the number if you later communicate with the SEC about the same submission. The number identifies your report; it is not a promise that the SEC will open an investigation or provide a status update.
When the SEC OIEA complaint form is the better choice
Use OIEA when your immediate problem concerns an investment account, investment, broker, brokerage firm, investment adviser, or another financial professional. This route is designed for investor assistance and complaints rather than serving as the primary intake for every suspected federal securities-law violation.
What OIEA can and cannot do
With your consent, OIEA may forward a complaint to the firm involved. The SEC says it cannot act as your attorney or personal representative. Filing a complaint does not create an attorney-client relationship, guarantee a refund, or require the agency to pursue an individual claim.
Rank #2
- 【IP68 Waterproof Multifunctinal Smart Watch】Torjalph fitness activity tracker smart watch is IP68 waterproof technology ,you can wear it when swimming,handwashing,it's rain-proof which means that you perform multiple exercise modes outside without worrying about sweat or rain corroding your fitness smart watch,and this watch equipped with a 230 mAh large capacity battery magnetic charging ,and this sports activity tracker watch can be used 5-7 days If fully charged.
- 【Larger 1.83'' Full Screen Watch & Multi-dial Selection】1.83 inch full HD color touch screen smart watch for men / women provides excellent 240*284 resolution image quality ,This Bluetooth smart watch offers a better touch experience and remarkable immersion and ,more than 200 watch faces for you to choose from App"Da Fit ", you can change the dial style according to your mood to wear keeping the world on your wrist
- 【Accurate Activity Tracker Smart Watch 】sports watch activity tracker uses sweat and dust resistant breathable silicone strap, our Fitness Tracker Smart Watch for Android iOS Phones supports 12 sports modes,walking,running,bicycle,swimming,badminton,basketball,football,rope skipping. This bluetooth calls smart watch for men women is lightweight and stylish, bringing more convenient and relaxing sports experience while also providing more protection.
- 【Your 24 Hour Personal Daily Health Monitor】Fitness watch for women men full touch screen IP67 waterproof bluetooth smartwatch for Android iOS Phones with heart rate blood pressure monitor multifunction Andriod smart watch with steps counter sleep monitor sports fitness watch, monitoring blood oxygen saturation allows you to understand your physical condition in real time to track fitness progress ,to know your health status in time.
- 【More Functions Bluetooth Call Smart Watch】This fitness activity smart watch full screen for iPhone and Android phones includes a bunch of new features including:The bluetooth smart watch can hang up the phone, receive and display WhatsAPP /Text /Facebook /Twitter /Messenger reminder.Support sedentary reminder, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer,weather information,music control, remote camera control compatible with Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above smartphones.
If the facts also indicate securities-law wrongdoing—such as an unregistered offering, theft of investor funds, market manipulation, or a Ponzi scheme—submit a separate TCR tip. Describe the account-service problem in OIEA and the suspected legal violation in TCR rather than assuming one form serves both purposes.
Prepare copies and keep the file reference
Follow OIEA’s instructions about supporting documents. Send copies rather than irreplaceable originals, and keep the assigned complaint or file number. OIEA may not provide status updates when a matter is referred for a confidential enforcement investigation.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWhen another federal agency should receive a report
FTC: general investment and consumer scams
Report a general investment scam or related consumer fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This is especially useful when the conduct is deceptive but the product or transaction does not clearly fit the SEC’s securities-law jurisdiction. If the scammer obtained or misused your personal information, make a separate report at IdentityTheft.gov and follow its recovery steps.
CFTC: commodities, precious metals, and derivatives
Use the CFTC’s complaint or tip channels for fraud involving commodities, precious metals, futures, options, swaps, or other derivatives. The CFTC provides both complaint and whistleblower routes; they have different purposes, so read the agency’s instructions before choosing one. A scheme can involve both securities and commodities, in which case separate reports may be appropriate.
FBI IC3: online investment or business fraud
For an online investment or business-fraud scheme, file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. Include the digital trail—domains, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, payment instructions, wallet addresses, transaction IDs, and the platform where contact began.
Rank #3
- [Low Noise High Fidelity] New bee guitar cord with 22AWG oxygen-free-copper center conductors provides enhanced signal transfer, the PVC insulation material and the high-density stranded copper double shield provide noise rejection for quiet operation
- [Ideal for Choice] New bee 1/4 straight and right angle metal connectors, ensures a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amp jack. L shape great fro on stage guitar stands
- [Wide Compatible] Suitable for mixer, power amplifier, microphone, effector, decoder, equalizer, electoronic organ, electric guitar, electric bass and other electronic equipments. Widely used in the installation of smart home, karaoke speaker, professional stage audio, etc
- [Easy Disassemble] Making incidental repairs quick and easy! Very nice, flexible cable
- [Dont Hesite to Order] 24 hours customer services and professional technology team are standing by
State securities regulator
Contact the regulator for the state connected to the offer, the professional, or your residence. NASAA provides a directory route to state securities regulators. State regulators can address state registration, licensing, and securities-law issues that may not be handled solely through a federal report.
State attorney general and local police
Consumer-protection or criminal aspects may warrant a report to your state attorney general and local police or sheriff. A police report can be useful when a bank, payment provider, insurer, or identity-theft service asks for a law-enforcement reference, but it does not replace the SEC, FTC, CFTC, IC3, or state securities filing that matches the transaction.
What to do immediately after realizing an investment was a scam
- Stop contact. Do not negotiate, threaten, argue, or click additional links sent by the suspected fraudster.
- Send no more money. Ignore demands for taxes, release fees, verification deposits, withdrawal charges, or payments to a supposed recovery service. A request for another payment is a common way to extend the loss.
- Contact the payment provider through a trusted channel. Use the telephone number on your bank card, statement, or the provider’s official website—not a number supplied by the scammer. Ask whether a transfer, card payment, wire, check, or cryptocurrency transaction can be stopped, recalled, or flagged as fraud. Do not assume a reversal is possible.
- Secure accounts. Change reused passwords, enable multifactor authentication, review account logins and connected devices, and contact your bank or broker if credentials or account access were exposed.
- Preserve evidence. Export messages and emails, save statements and receipts, record dates and amounts, and capture webpages or profiles before they disappear. Keep originals and submit copies when an agency asks for documents.
- Report identity misuse. If personal information was stolen or used, file at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the recommended account, credit, and identity-protection steps.
- File the agency reports. Use the route that matches the product and conduct, then save every confirmation, submission number, and complaint file reference.
Build an evidence packet before you submit
Agencies can evaluate a report more efficiently when the facts are chronological and specific. Create one folder containing a short timeline and clearly labeled copies.
Timeline
- First contact and every important conversation date.
- Promises about returns, guarantees, withdrawals, or urgency.
- Each deposit, wire, card payment, check, cryptocurrency transfer, or requested fee.
- Dates you attempted to withdraw funds and the responses you received.
- When you realized the opportunity might be fraudulent and what you did afterward.
Transaction and identity details
- Names used by the people or entities, job titles, phone numbers, email addresses, social accounts, and websites.
- Bank names, routing or account information shown on payment instructions, wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and confirmation numbers.
- Account statements, invoices, contracts, offering documents, screenshots, and recorded advertisements.
- Names of other investors or witnesses, provided only when you may lawfully share them.
Write facts separately from conclusions. For example, state that the promoter said a withdrawal required a $5,000 “tax” on a particular date, then explain why that request led you to suspect fraud. Do not alter screenshots or edit original files; provide a readable copy and retain the source.
How to file without being misled again
Reach each agency through a trusted official website or phone number that you locate independently. Scammers sometimes impersonate regulators, law-enforcement officers, banks, or “recovery” companies after learning that a victim reported a loss. A real report does not require you to pay an agency to recover money.
Rank #4
- Digital Family Calendar: BSIMB digital calendar wall touch screen puts an end to your chaotic life. Designed for busy families, the digital calendar keeps you organised and in step with your family. Assign different colours and tasks to each family member to make family scheduling easier and more intuitive.
- Easy Setup and Auto-Sync: Plug in, connect to WLAN and auto-syn your electric calendar in minutes. Digital wall calendar compatible with Google calendar, iCloud calendar, Outlook calendar, Cozi calendar and Yahoo calendar. Add events directly on the device or through the ecalendar app. Electronic calendar stays current whether you're at work or traveling—no manual updates needed.
- All-In-One Home Assistant: Smart calendar builds habits and encourage independence with personalised chores. Display daily meal plan to reduce the daily ‘What's for dinner?’ stress. To-do lists keep track of everything you want. Turning chores into valuable achievements with stars and rewards, making life easier and more enjoyable.
- Manage Anytime Anywhere: BSIMB electronic calendar for family stay connected with the powerful ecalendar app. Access and manage your digital wall calendar anytime, anywhere with free features like stars & rewards, photo screensaver, chore charts, meals plans, to-do lists etc. Electronic planner paid features like Magic Import tailor advanced tools for users with special needs.
- Stay in Touch with Loved Ones: Share photos or videos from your phone to electronic wall calendar with app, instantly update your life moment, and keep in touch with your family, especially those who are far away; you can also surprise your smart calendar digital wall by sending him a wish card; it's also great for keeping tech-illiterate elders in touch with the youngsters.
Check the destination before uploading documents
- Type the agency’s official address yourself or use a bookmark you created from the agency’s verified site.
- Check the domain carefully before entering personal, banking, or tax information.
- Do not forward your full identity documents to an unsolicited “investigator” who contacts you after the loss.
- Keep a record of what you submitted, when, and to which agency.
What reporting can—and cannot—do
Reports help agencies identify patterns, connect victims, and decide whether to pursue regulatory or criminal action. They do not guarantee that an investigation will begin, that anyone will be prosecuted, or that your money will be returned. An agency may combine your information with other complaints without contacting you individually.
OIEA may not provide updates when a complaint is referred for a confidential enforcement investigation. Keep your submission numbers and file references, respond if an agency requests clarification, and update the agency if you discover material new evidence. Do not send duplicate forms merely to increase visibility; make an additional filing when a different agency has a distinct jurisdiction or when you have genuinely new information.
Special instruction for the SEC Retail Fraud Working Group
If your information is intended for the SEC Retail Fraud Working Group, include the exact phrase “To the Attention of the Retail Fraud Working Group.” The SEC’s current page carrying this instruction is dated September 18, 2026. Including the phrase helps route the tip; it does not change the ordinary warning that a submission is not a guarantee of an investigation or recovery.
Common mistakes that reduce the usefulness of a report
Choosing a channel by the scammer’s job title
A person may call themselves a broker, adviser, fund manager, trader, or recovery specialist. Select the route by the product and conduct shown in the evidence, not by the title they claimed.
Sending only a narrative with no transaction facts
Explain the story, but add dates, amounts, payment paths, names, account identifiers, and copies of records. Agencies need the details that allow them to connect your report to a person, entity, transaction, or pattern.
Sending originals
Keep original documents, devices, and files. Submit copies or exports as requested so you can preserve the evidence and provide it to another agency if needed.
Assuming one complaint covers every issue
An SEC TCR tip, an OIEA account complaint, an FTC consumer report, an IC3 criminal report, and a state securities complaint have different purposes. File the relevant additional reports when the facts cross jurisdictions.
Paying a second company to recover the first loss
Do not pay a supposed regulator, lawyer, investigator, or recovery service merely because it promises access to frozen funds. Verify any professional independently and do not share credentials or send an advance payment to an unsolicited contact.
Recommended Free Tools
A practical reporting sequence
- Stop communication and stop payment if possible.
- Secure your bank, brokerage, email, and other exposed accounts.
- Collect a timeline, transaction records, messages, identities, and digital evidence.
- Submit an SEC TCR tip for suspected federal securities-law violations.
- Submit an OIEA complaint for an investment-account or financial-professional service problem.
- Add FTC, IdentityTheft.gov, CFTC, IC3, state securities, state attorney general, or local police reports according to the product and conduct.
- Save every confirmation, submission number, and file reference; respond only through independently verified agency channels.
Agency portals and instructions can change. Before filing, verify the current form and submission requirements on the official agency site. SEC TCR guidance was reviewed November 18, 2024; the SEC’s general TCR resource page was updated June 30, 2025; its possible-violations page was updated September 2, 2025; and CFPB scam-contact guidance was updated August 28, 2026.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
