Reporting a scam in United States

First hour, in order

Call your bank. Call the number on the back of your card. For a wire transfer, ask specifically for a SWIFT recall and file with IC3 the same day.
Stop paying. No fee, tax or "release payment" ever unlocks money that does not exist.
Screenshot everything before you delete an app, block a number or close an account.
Then report using the routes below. Reporting is slower than the bank call, and less urgent — but it is what produces enforcement.

The United States has two national reporting routes and you should usually use both: the FTC for the consumer-protection record, and the FBI’s IC3 for anything internet-enabled. IC3 is the one that can trigger a fast recall attempt on a wire transfer.

Where to report

FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Open the reporting page

Also worth using

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
For anything internet-enabled, and the route that triggers the FBI's Recovery Asset Team on large wire transfers. Report within 72 hours if a wire has gone.
IdentityTheft.gov
Generates a personal recovery plan and an official identity theft report.
Your state attorney general
State-level consumer protection.
CFTC and SEC
For investment and commodity fraud, including crypto trading platforms.

If your identity was used

IdentityTheft.gov is the route for identity misuse: new accounts opened in your name, credit taken out, documents copied.

What not to do

Do not pay anyone to recover your money. No legitimate service charges an up-front fee to get stolen funds back, and people who have just been scammed are the primary market for recovery scams.
Do not use contact details the scammer gave you — not the phone number, not the "support" chat, not a link in a message. Look the agency up yourself.
Do not delete the evidence. Apps, chats, wallet addresses and transaction IDs are what make a report actionable.
Do not send one more payment. This is where most of the largest losses happen.

Sources

Agency names, URLs and phone numbers were checked on 2026-09-06. Government contact details do change — if something here is wrong, please tell us.

ReportFraud.ftc.gov. US Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 2026-09-06.
Internet Crime Complaint Center. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Accessed 2026-09-06.
IdentityTheft.gov. US Federal Trade Commission. Accessed 2026-09-06.