Federal Trade Commission

The FTC encourages consumers to file a complaint whenever they have been the victim of fraud, identity theft, or other unfair or deceptive business practices. They can do it online, or by calling the FTC’s Consumer Response Center at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). Although filing a complaint will not guarantee that their problem will be fixed, it can help the FTC and other agencies investigate and take enforcement actions whenever it is warranted. The FTC compiles complaint data that it receives, along with data from other agencies, into a database called Consumer Sentinel. - The FTC launched ReportFraud.ftc.gov, a new website that makes it easy for people to report fraud, scams, and bad business practices. - For Consumer Complaints contact the Consumer Response Center: -By phone: Toll free, (877) FTC-HELP (877-382-4357); 9:00am to 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. -By mail: Consumer Response Center Federal Trade Commission 600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20580 -Online, using the online complaint form. - Identiy Theft Helpline: 877-438-4338 -About Spam and Phishing: forward unsolicited commercial email (spam), including phishing message, directly to FTC at reportphishing@apwg.org. These messages will be stored in a database that law enforcement agencies use in their investigations. Identity Theft Assistance: IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. The site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process. Visit consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft for prevention tips and free resources to share in your community. Handouts: Fraud, ID Theft