Quick answer: Report scams to the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov) and the FBI’s IC3 in the US, Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk) in the UK, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in Canada, Scamwatch and ReportCyber in Australia, and your local police plus the Verbraucherzentrale in Germany. If you’ve lost money, call your bank first, then report.
Reporting can feel pointless, but it isn’t. Agencies use reports to spot patterns, link crimes together and, in some cases, get scam sites and numbers taken down. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said in July 2026 that more than 58 million reports had led to 256,000 scams being removed.
Which service you use depends on where you live and what happened. Here’s the short list as of October 2026, region by region.
What should you do before you report a scam?
Speed matters most if money has left your account. Do these in order:
- Call your bank or card provider. Ask them to stop or recall the payment. Germany’s guidance puts it bluntly: every minute counts.
- Stop contact. Don’t reply to the scammer or pay any “recovery fee.”
- Gather evidence. Screenshots, email headers, payment receipts, account or transaction numbers, and any names, numbers or social media handles.
- Change passwords. If you shared login details, update them and turn on multi-factor sign-in.
- Report using the steps for your country below.
Where to report a scam in the United States
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov for general scams. The FTC received 3 million fraud reports in 2025 and recorded $15.9 billion in losses, up from $12 billion in 2024, per its March 2026 testimony.
- IdentityTheft.gov: if someone used your identity to open accounts or file claims.
- FBI IC3 (complaint.ic3.gov): for cyber-enabled crime. The IC3 says it does not work with law firms or crypto services to recover lost funds, so ignore anyone who claims otherwise, according to IC3.
If your Social Security number is at risk, also freeze your credit. We explain how in our piece on the Pentagon data breach.
Where to report a scam in the United Kingdom
Action Fraud has been replaced. City of London Police launched Report Fraud on 4 December 2025, with the website reportfraud.police.uk and the phone line 0300 123 2040, according to GOV.UK. Traffic from the old Action Fraud site redirects automatically.
For scam messages specifically, the NCSC takes reports of scam emails, texts, phone calls, websites and adverts. It references 7726 as the number for forwarding scam texts. See the NCSC phishing guidance for current instructions.
Where to report a scam in Canada
Use the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). You can report online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca, anonymously if you prefer, as a victim or a witness. By phone, the toll-free number is 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern.
The CAFC advises victims to contact local police as soon as possible too. Police investigate; the CAFC keeps a national database that helps link cases. Details are on the CAFC reporting page.
Where to report a scam in Australia
Start with Scamwatch’s online form. It helps warn others and works with organizations to remove scam websites. If personal information or money was stolen, you can also make a police report through ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
Scamwatch also points victims to IDCARE for support if your identity may be misused, and tells you to contact your bank right away. Triple Zero (000) is for anyone in danger. See the Scamwatch page.
Where to report a scam in Germany and the EU
Germany doesn’t have a single scam-reporting site like the FTC. Instead:
- Police: your local station or the Onlinewache in most states.
- Verbraucherzentrale: forward suspicious emails to phishing@verbraucherzentrale.nrw for its Phishing-Radar. It can’t reply to individual messages.
- BaFin: for cryptocurrency fraud cases.
- Your bank: immediately, to try to stop or recover payments.
The Phishing-Radar showed live examples on 5 October 2026, including a fake Sparkasse refund of 106.99 euros, a fake Comdirect photoTAN expiry notice and a PayPal “account deletion in 24 hours” message. All push you to act fast, which is the tell. The practical advice comes from Born City’s guide and the Verbraucherzentrale.
For other EU countries we haven’t verified a national channel for this article. Check your own police or consumer authority, and use your bank’s fraud line.
Quick comparison
| Country | Main report point | Also use |
|---|---|---|
| US | ReportFraud.ftc.gov | IC3, IdentityTheft.gov |
| UK | reportfraud.police.uk | NCSC scam reporting |
| Canada | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre | Local police |
| Australia | Scamwatch | ReportCyber, IDCARE |
| Germany | Local police / Onlinewache | Verbraucherzentrale, BaFin |
If a scam involves intimate images or blackmail, also read our guide on the Take It Down Act. More guides are in our Security section.
How can you spot the scam before you need to report it?
The live examples on Germany’s Phishing-Radar show the usual tricks, and they apply anywhere. A fake bank message says a security app expires today. A fake payment service threatens to delete your account within 24 hours. A fake streaming service says your payment failed. A fake refund arrives through a “secure portal.”
The common thread is a deadline plus a link. Real companies will let you check by logging in through their app or typing their address yourself. Our editorial rule of thumb: if a message makes you hurry, slow down and go to the company directly.
Recent FTC alerts add two more current examples. On 3 September 2026 it warned about scammers using QR codes on parking meters and signs for payment fraud, and on 28 September it warned that scammers sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results around health insurance open enrollment.
What if you can’t find your country here?
Start with your bank, then your national police, then your consumer protection authority. Many countries run a central scam reporting service, but we have only listed the ones we could verify directly for this article. If you’re in another EU country such as France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain or Italy, check your own government’s site rather than trusting a third-party list.
Frequently asked questions
Will reporting a scam get my money back?
Not directly. Your bank is the best route for recalling a payment. Reports help agencies investigate and take down scams, but no agency here guarantees recovery.
Is Action Fraud still active?
No. It was replaced by Report Fraud on 4 December 2025. The old site redirects to the new one.
Should I report a scam if I didn’t lose money?
Yes. Reports of attempts help agencies spot trends and remove scam sites and numbers. It only takes a few minutes.
Can someone recover my lost crypto for a fee?
Be very careful. The FBI’s IC3 says it doesn’t work with non-law-enforcement entities, such as law firms or crypto services, to recover lost funds. Recovery offers that ask for upfront fees are a common second scam.
Sources
- FTC: Testimony on fraud (25 March 2026)
- FBI IC3: Internet Crime Complaint Center
- GOV.UK: Report Fraud, new service from City of London Police
- NCSC: Phishing scams
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Report fraud
- Scamwatch: Report a scam
- Verbraucherzentrale: Phishing-Radar
- Born City: Online-Betrug, so melden Sie Phishing und Fake-Shops richtig