How to Report a Scam: Canada, USA, UK and Europe Guide

Being scammed is devastating, both financially and emotionally. The most powerful thing you can do after it happens is report it. Your report protects the next person.

If you have been targeted by a scammer, whether you lost money or not, reporting it is one of the most important things you can do. Your report helps law enforcement track patterns, shut down criminal operations, and warn others before they become victims. This post gives you the exact official reporting resource for your country; Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, so you can report quickly and confidently, no searching required.

Before You Report — Three Things to Do First

Before you contact any reporting agency, take five minutes to gather the following. The more detail you provide, the more useful your report will be to investigators:

1. Write down everything you remember — the date and time of the contact, the phone number or email address it came from, exactly what was said or written, and what you were asked to do or pay

   
   

2. Screenshot everything — any emails, text messages, social media messages, or websites involved. Do not delete them.

   
   

3. Note the payment method — if money was involved, write down how you paid (gift card, wire transfer, credit card, cryptocurrency) and the exact amount. If you paid by gift card, keep the card and the receipt.

4. 
   

Now you are ready to report.

🇨🇦 Canada — How to Report a Scam

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is the primary national agency for collecting fraud and cybercrime reports in Canada. It is operated jointly by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and the Competition Bureau of Canada.

Report online:

antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca → click "Report fraud"

Report by phone:

1-888-495-8501

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM Eastern Time

What to report here:

• Phone scams and impersonation fraud (CRA, police, utilities)

• Email phishing and online fraud

• Romance scams

• Investment fraud

• Identity theft

• Any fraud where money was lost or a scam attempt was made

Important: The CAFC does not investigate individual cases, but every report is added to a national database used by law enforcement to identify trends and build cases against criminal networks. Your report matters even if no money was lost.

Also Report To: Your Local Police

If you lost money or your personal information was stolen, file a report with your local police service as well. This creates an official record that may be required for insurance claims, bank disputes, or legal proceedings.

Also Report To: The Competition Bureau of Canada

For scams involving fake businesses, misleading advertising, or fraudulent products:competitionbureau.gc.ca or call 1-800-348-5358

🇺🇸 United States — How to Report a Scam

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The FTC is the primary federal agency for consumer fraud reporting in the United States. All reports go directly into the Consumer Sentinel Network — a secure database used by thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country.

Report online:

reportfraud.ftc.gov

Report by phone:

1-877-382-4357

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time

What to report here:

• Phone scams and robocalls

• Email and online fraud

• Identity theft

• Impersonation scams (IRS, Social Security, Medicare)

• Romance scams

• Sweepstakes and lottery fraud

• Any unwanted contact or attempted fraud

Also Report To: The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

For scams that originated online — including email fraud, social media scams, and online shopping fraud:

ic3.gov → click "File a Complaint"

The IC3 is operated by the FBI and specifically handles internet-based criminal activity.

Also Report To: Your State Attorney General

Most states have a consumer protection division that handles local fraud reports. Find yours at:naag.org/find-my-ag

For IRS Impersonation Scams Specifically:

Treasury Inspector General:

tigta.gov → Report IRS Impersonation Scam

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — How to Report a Scam

Action Fraud

Action Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, operated by the City of London Police in partnership with the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).

Report online:

actionfraud.police.uk → click "Report a fraud"

Report by phone:

0300 123 2040

Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM

What to report here:

• Phone and email scams

• Online shopping fraud

• Investment fraud

• Identity theft

• Romance fraud

• Impersonation of government agencies or banks

• Any fraud or attempted fraud

Important: If you are in immediate danger or a crime is in progress, call 999. Action Fraud is for reporting after the fact, not emergencies.

Also Report To: Citizens Advice

For guidance on what to do after being scammed, including how to recover money and protect yourself going forward: citizensadvice.org.uk or call 0808 223 1133 (free)

For Bank and Payment Fraud Specifically:

Contact your bank immediately using the number on the back of your card. UK banks are required under the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) to reimburse victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud in many circumstances, but you must report it quickly.

Report Scam Websites and Emails in the UK:

• Suspicious emails: Forward to report@phishing.gov.uk

• Suspicious text messages: Forward to 7726 (spells SPAM on your keypad — it's free)

• Suspicious websites: Report at ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website

🇪🇺 Europe — How to Report a Scam

Europol — European Cybercrime Centre (EC3)

For serious cybercrime and cross-border fraud affecting multiple EU

countries: europol.europa.eu → Report a Crime

Report in Your Specific Country:

Each EU member state has its own national fraud and cybercrime reporting agency. Here are the primary ones:

Country	Agency	Website
Ireland	An Garda Síochána	garda.ie → Report Fraud
Germany	Bundeskriminalamt (BKA)	bka.de
France	PHAROS (Internet Reporting Platform)	internet-signalement.gouv.fr
Italy	Polizia Postale	commissariatodips.it
Spain	Policía Nacional	policia.es → Delitos Tecnológicos
Netherlands	Fraudehelpdesk	fraudehelpdesk.nl
Belgium	Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium	ccb.belgium.be
Australia	Scamwatch (ACCC)	scamwatch.gov.au

For EU Online Marketplace and Shopping Scams:

European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net): eccnet.eu — connects consumers with free advice on cross-border disputes within the EU

What Happens After You Report

Many people hesitate to report fraud because they assume nothing will happen. Here is the reality:

• Individual reports rarely result in a single investigation — but that is not the point

• Patterns across thousands of reports are what law enforcement uses to identify criminal networks, make arrests, and issue public warnings

• Your report protects others — agencies use aggregated fraud data to warn the public about emerging scams before more people are victimized

• Your report creates a legal record — which may be essential if you need to dispute a charge with your bank, file an insurance claim, or pursue legal action

Even if you were not fooled. Even if you lost nothing. Even if it was just a suspicious phone call that lasted 30 seconds.

Report it. Every single time.

If You Lost Money — Additional Steps to Take Immediately

Reporting to authorities is essential, but it is not the only step if money was actually transferred:

1. Contact your bank or credit card company immediately — ask them to reverse or recall the transaction. Time is critical.

   
   

2. If you paid by gift card — call the gift card company right away using the number on the back of the card. Ask them to freeze the funds. Some companies can recover the money if you act within hours.

   
   

3. If you paid by wire transfer — contact your bank and ask them to issue a SWIFT recall. Success is not guaranteed but possible if acted on quickly.

   
   

4. If your personal information was stolen — place a fraud alert on your credit file:

   
   

   • Canada: Equifax 1-800-465-7166 | TransUnion 1-800-663-9980

   
   

   • USA: Equifax 1-800-525-6285 | Experian 1-888-397-3742 | TransUnion 1-800-680-7289

   
   

   • UK: Cifas at cifas.org.uk — register for protective registration

Share This Page

Bookmark this post. Share it with everyone you know, especially anyone who lives alone or who you know has been targeted by scammers before.

The official reporting links do not change often. This page will be kept up to date so it is always a reliable resource whenever you need it.

➡️ Want to learn how to recognize the most common scams before they happen? [Browse all Scam Alerts here].

➡️ Worried your personal information may already be compromised? [Read: How to Check if Your Email or Password Has Been Stolen].

Have you ever reported a scam? Did it feel like anything came of it? Share your experience in the comments, your story helps others feel less alone and more empowered to speak up.