Reporting Fraud & Scams

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud or a scam, it’s essential to act promptly––that way you can minimize or eliminate your financial loss, as well as help prevent others from falling for the same deceptive schemes. Here is what you should do to report fraud or a scam:

Notify your credit union or credit card issuer.

If the fraud or scam involves your credit union account, credit card, or any other financial accounts, immediately contact the institution. Inform them about the fraudulent activity and follow their instructions on how to proceed.

Document the details.

Gather all relevant information, such as emails, phone numbers, messages, receipts, or other evidence related to the fraud or scam. This will be important information to have when you report the incident.

File reports.

• In the United States, you can report fraud and scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which collects data on deceitful activities to identity trends and patterns. You can file to report by visiting the FTC’s website or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).
• Contact your local police department or law enforcement agency and file a report. Provide them with all the evidence you have gathered. Even if they might not be able to investigate every case, reporting the incident can help build a case against the scammer or fraudster by identifying patterns of criminal activity.
• If your information was stolen, such as your Social Security number, credit card, account details, or other personally identifiable information, go to IdentityTheft.gov. On this website, you can report what happened, obtain a recovery plan, and receive guidance through each recovery step.

Safeguard your credit.

If your personal information was compromised through fraud or a scam, contact the three major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) to initiate fraud alerts and freeze your credit. By adding a fraud alert to your credit report, it will warn lenders that you may be a victim of fraud. This is an extra precaution and will let potential lenders know they should contact you before opening any new lines of credit in your name. You can also freeze your credit for free at each of the major credit bureaus. Freezing your credit prevents any new credit accounts from being opened in your name. Even if identity thieves have accessed all of your personal information in a data breach, they can’t open new accounts in your name if your credit is frozen.

Remember, reporting fraud and scams in a timely manner can help you recover stolen money. You can also help the authorities build cases against fraudsters and scammers, as well as help prevent others from falling victim to their deceitful practices by providing them with your information and evidence.