Report fraud to the platform first, then to law enforcement

When you discover you have been scammed online, your first move should be to report it to the company or platform where the fraud happened — not to police. The platform can freeze the account, recover money in some cases, and prevent the scammer from targeting others when ready. After that, file a report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, which creates a record that law enforcement agencies actually use. Only after those two steps should you contact local police, who will take a report but rarely investigate individual cases unless the amount is very large or part of a pattern they are already tracking.

The order matters because each step serves a different purpose. The platform stops the when ready harm. The FTC aggregates reports to identify fraud rings and trends. Police create a record for your own protection — you may need it to dispute charges or prove the fraud to your bank. Doing them out of order wastes time and leaves gaps in the record.

Key Takeaways

  • Report the fraud to the platform or company where it happened before contacting anyone else, because they can freeze the account and sometimes reverse the transaction.
  • File a report with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov within a few days, because the FTC uses these reports to track fraud patterns and alert law enforcement.
  • Contact your bank or credit card company when ready if money left your account, because they have time limits for disputing unauthorized charges.
  • File a police report in your city or county if the amount is over a few hundred dollars or if you believe your identity was stolen, because you may need the report number for your bank or credit card company.
  • Save every message, screenshot, and transaction record related to the scam before reporting, because platforms and police will ask for proof.

Report to the platform or company when ready

The company that hosts the scam — whether it is Amazon, Facebook, a dating app, a payment service, or an email provider — has the fastest ability to stop the fraud. Log into your account and look for a "Report" or "Report Abuse" button on the scammer's profile or message. If you cannot find it, go to the company's help center and search for "report fraud" or "report scam." Most platforms have a dedicated form.

When you report, be specific: include the scammer's username or account ID, the date of the first contact, what they claimed to be selling or offering, and exactly what happened. Attach screenshots of messages if the platform allows it. Do not edit or crop the screenshots — platforms want to see the full context, including timestamps and usernames. If money was involved, include the transaction ID or confirmation number.

After you report, the platform will usually freeze the account within hours or days. If you sent money through their payment system (PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, etc.), contact that service separately and report the transaction as fraudulent. Some services can reverse payments if you report within a short window — usually 24 to 48 hours for peer-to-peer transfers, longer for other types. Do not wait.

File a report with the Federal Trade Commission

The FTC's ReportFraud.ftc.gov form takes about 10 minutes and creates a permanent record that law enforcement agencies use to identify fraud patterns. The FTC does not investigate individual cases, but the data from thousands of reports helps them spot organized fraud rings and alert the FBI, Secret Service, and local police departments.

You will need to describe what happened, how much money you lost (if any), and what personal information the scammer obtained. The form asks whether you sent money, gave your password, or shared your Social Security number. Answer honestly — the FTC uses this to understand which scams are most dangerous. You do not need a police report number to file with the FTC; in fact, most people file with the FTC before they ever contact police.

After you submit, the FTC sends you a confirmation number. Save this. You may need it later if you dispute charges with your bank or if you want to check whether your information was part of a larger breach.

Contact your bank or credit card company if money left your account

If you sent money through your bank account, credit card, or wire transfer, call your bank's fraud department when ready — do not wait for the next business day. Most banks have 24-hour fraud lines. Tell them the transaction was unauthorized or fraudulent and ask them to reverse it.

Banks have strict time limits for disputing charges. For credit cards, you usually have 60 days from when you see the charge on your statement. For debit cards and bank transfers, the window is often shorter — sometimes 10 days. After that, the bank is not required to refund you, though they may do so as a courtesy. The sooner you report, the better your chances.

The bank will ask for the transaction details: the date, the amount, the recipient's name or account number, and what you were supposedly buying. Have your bank statement in front of you when you call. The bank will file a dispute on your behalf and may issue you a temporary refund while they investigate. This process usually takes 30 to 90 days.

File a police report if the amount is significant or your identity was stolen

Police reports are not required to recover money — your bank handles that — but you should file one if the amount is over a few hundred dollars, if the scammer has your Social Security number, or if you believe your identity was stolen. A police report creates an official record that protects you if the scammer uses your information to open accounts in your name.

You can file a report online through your city or county police department's website, or you can go to a local precinct in person. Online reports are faster and do not require you to sit in a waiting room. When you file, provide the same details you gave the FTC: what happened, how much money, what information was shared, and the scammer's username or contact information if you have it. Attach screenshots and transaction records.

The police will give you a report number. Save this number — you may need it to dispute charges with your bank, to place a fraud alert on your credit report, or to prove the crime occurred if the scammer's account is later used to commit other crimes.

Protect yourself from further fraud after reporting

After you report the scam, take steps to prevent the scammer from using your information again. If they have your password, change it when ready on that platform and on any other site where you used the same password. If they have your email address, enable two-factor authentication on your email account — this prevents someone from resetting your passwords even if they know the password itself.

If the scammer obtained your Social Security number, date of birth, or driver's license number, place a fraud alert on your credit report. You can do this for free through any of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. A fraud alert tells lenders to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name. The alert lasts one year and is free to place and remove.

Monitor your credit report for the next several months. You can check it for free once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for accounts you did not open or inquiries from lenders you did not contact. If you see suspicious activity, contact the credit bureau and file a dispute.

Understand what law enforcement will and will not do

Police will take your report, but they will not investigate unless the amount is very large, the scammer is local, or the case is part of a pattern they are already tracking. Internet fraud is low priority for most police departments because the scammer is usually in another state or country and the amount per victim is often small. This is not because police do not care — it is because they do not have the resources to investigate thousands of cases where recovery is unlikely.

The FBI investigates organized fraud rings and cases involving large amounts of money — usually $100,000 or more. If you believe you are part of a larger scam, you can report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. The IC3 does not investigate individual cases either, but it tracks complaints and shares data with law enforcement agencies that do.

Your realistic goal is not to get the scammer arrested — that is unlikely — but to create a record, recover money through your bank if possible, and prevent the scammer from using your information again. The FTC report and police report serve that purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my money back if I sent it through a wire transfer or cryptocurrency?

Wire transfers and cryptocurrency are nearly impossible to reverse because they are designed to be final. Your bank can try to recall a wire if you report it within a few hours, but if the scammer has already moved the money, recovery is unlikely. Cryptocurrency cannot be reversed at all. Report it anyway — the FTC needs the data — but do not expect a refund.

What if the scammer is in another country?

File your reports with the FTC and police anyway. Most internet scams originate overseas, and law enforcement knows this. The FTC shares reports with international partners, and some countries do prosecute their citizens for fraud. Your report contributes to that effort even if you never see a direct result.

Do I need to hire a lawyer or pay someone to help me report the fraud?

No. Reporting to the FTC, police, and your bank is free. Anyone who charges you to file these reports or to recover your money is likely running another scam. Legitimate recovery services are rare and usually only work on cases involving very large amounts of money.

How long does it take to get my money back?

If your bank reverses the charge, it usually takes 30 to 90 days. If the money was sent through a payment app like Venmo or PayPal, reversal depends on whether the recipient has already withdrawn the funds. If they have, recovery is unlikely. The sooner you report, the better your chances.

What should I do if the scammer contacts me again after I report them?

Do not respond. Block the account on the platform where they contacted you, and report the new contact to the platform again. If they contact you through a different method (phone, email, text), save the message and report it to the FTC. Scammers sometimes contact victims again to apologize or offer to return money — this is usually another scam.