The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects consumers from unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent business practices at the federal level. Filing an FTC complaint is free and can be done online at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or ftc.gov/complaint.
8 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Process
- Determine if the FTC is the right agency — The FTC handles fraud, scams, identity theft, deceptive business practices, and anti-competitive behavior. For banking issues, use CFPB. For securities fr...
- Gather your information — Collect the business/individual's full legal name, address, phone number, and website. Note the date(s) of the incident, method of contact, and financial loss amount. Orga...
- Visit ReportFraud.ftc.gov — This is the primary portal for consumer complaints. Alternatively, use ftc.gov/complaint.
- Select the complaint category — Choose the type that best describes your situation: online shopping, tech support scams, imposter scams, identity theft, unwanted calls, prize/lottery scams, busines...
- Complete the online form — Answer the guided questions about what happened, who contacted you, how you paid, and how much money was involved. Be factual and chronological.
- Upload supporting documents — Attach copies of relevant evidence such as emails, screenshots, contracts, and payment records.
- Review and submit — Check your information for accuracy before submitting. You will receive a confirmation number for your records.
- Report identity theft separately — If your complaint involves identity theft, also visit IdentityTheft.gov to create a personalized recovery plan and get pre-filled letters to send to businesses.
Common Mistakes
- Expecting the FTC to resolve your individual case
- Not reporting because the amount is small
- Incomplete details
- Only filing with the FTC
- Not keeping records
Pro Tips
- The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network is the most comprehensive fraud database ...
- For identity theft, use IdentityTheft.gov instead of or in addition to Report...
- File Do Not Call complaints at donotcall.gov if you receive unwanted telemark...
- The FTC publishes scam alerts and consumer advice at consumer.ftc.gov — subsc...
- You can report in English or Spanish