You’ve been frauded! It’s a disaster, and the longer you wait to act, the worse it will get. 

What do you do now?

It’s a crucial question, and we’ve got answers! Here’s what to do if you’ve fallen victim to fraud: 

Immediate steps

As soon as you discover the fraud, take these steps:

  • Document the fraud. Collect all relevant info, including emails, receipts, account statements and any other documentation that can serve as evidence.
  • Contact your financial institutions. Notify your credit union or bank, credit card companies and any other financial institutions about the fraud. They can freeze your accounts, issue new cards and help prevent further unauthorized transactions.
  • Change passwords. Immediately change passwords for any online accounts that may have been compromised.

Reporting fraud to the authorities

Here are the key organizations to contact:

  1. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is the primary agency for reporting fraud in the United States. You can file a complaint online or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
  1. Local law enforcement. File a report with your local police department. Provide them with all the evidence you have collected. 
  1. Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). For online fraud, report to the IC3, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. File a complaint here. 
  1. State consumer protection offices. Many states have consumer protection offices that handle fraud complaints. 
  1. Credit reporting agencies. Contact the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) to place a fraud alert on your credit report. 

Specialized reporting for specific types of fraud

Depending on the type of fraud, you may need to report to additional specialized agencies:

  1. Identity Theft: Report identity theft to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. 
  1. Securities Fraud: If you’re a victim of investment fraud, report it to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at SEC.gov.
  1. Tax Fraud: For tax-related identity theft or fraud, contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at IRS.gov or at 1-800-908-4490.
  1. Mail Fraud: If fraud was conducted using the U.S. Postal Service, report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at USPIS.gov.

How to protect yourself from future fraud

Monitor your checking account statements, credit bills and credit reports regularly for sketchy activity. Also, use strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts. Never share personal information with an unverified contact. Finally, keep yourself educated about scams.

Stay safe!