Did you spot a scam? Here’s what to do next

Many people experience fraud but never report it, and scammers count on you staying silent. Your story — especially when you share it with friends, family, and the FTC — is a powerful tool in the fight against fraud. Here’s why your report matters. When you share your scam story with people you know, you’re helping them (and yourself) better recognize and avoid that scam in the future. When you file a report with the FTC, it goes into Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure national database available to local, state, and federal law enforcement. From there, the FTC uses reports in a few ways. FTC investigators, lawyers, analysts, and others review reports to spot patterns and build cases. FTC staff also look at reports to find new scams to talk about in the Consumer Alerts that help people spot and avoid those scams. Watch the FTC’s Why Report Fraud video below to see exactly how your report can make a difference. (View or share the YouTube version of this video.) Tell one person in your life what the scam looked like so they recognize it. Report what happened at ReportFraud.ftc.gov . Subscribe to FTC’s Consumer Alerts to stay updated on the latest scams. Your story matters — share it.