Found a fake website, been targeted by a scam, or lost money to one? This is a plain-English guide to where to report a scam website and what to do next — with direct links to the official agencies that actually take reports. Bookmark it, and share it with anyone who needs it.
Scam Detective is an independent scam-intelligence service. We’re not affiliated with any agency below, and this page is general information — not legal, financial, or law-enforcement advice.
Not sure if a website, store, or link is real? The fastest way to decide is to check it before you spend a cent or share any details. Paste any URL into our free instant check and get:
Free risk-score preview · full report with all 5 red flags for $4.99· no subscription. It’s an intelligence report to help you decide, not a guarantee — always use your own judgement.
Reporting a scam helps agencies warn others and build cases against the people behind it — even when your own money can’t be recovered. Report to the agency for your country; you can report to more than one. All links open the official site in a new tab.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's official portal for reporting fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Reports feed the FTC's law-enforcement database.
File a complaint about internet-enabled crime — fraudulent websites, phishing, online fraud, and cyber-enabled theft — with the FBI.
The Better Business Bureau's public tool to report a scam and search what others have reported, helping warn your community.
Report a phishing or deceptive site to Google so it can be flagged with a warning in Chrome and other browsers that use Safe Browsing.
Forward phishing emails and report phishing sites to the APWG, an international coalition that tracks and helps disrupt phishing campaigns.
The UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, run with the City of London Police. Report scams and suspicious websites here.
Run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to collect scam reports and publish warnings for Australian consumers.
Canada's central agency for collecting information and intelligence on fraud. Report scams affecting Canadians online.
Act quickly — the sooner you move, the more options you have. These are general steps; they aren’t legal or financial advice, and Scam Detective can’t recover funds or act on your behalf.
If you paid by card or bank transfer, call your bank or card issuer right away. Ask about a chargeback, stopping or reversing the payment, and freezing the card. Card and bank payments often have the strongest protections — payments by gift card, wire, or crypto rarely do.
The FTC's step-by-step service for reporting identity theft and building a personalised recovery plan if your details were exposed.
Place a free security freeze on your Equifax credit file to stop new accounts being opened in your name.
Freeze your Experian credit file for free. You'll need to freeze all three bureaus for full protection.
Add a free credit freeze at TransUnion, the third of the three major U.S. credit bureaus.
Freezing your credit is free at all three U.S. bureaus and can be lifted anytime — freeze all three for full protection. Outside the US, contact your national credit-reference agencies for the equivalent.
Spot the scam before it spots you. Paste any website link for an instant 0–100 risk score, free — the full report with all 5 red flags is just $4.99.
Check a link — freeQuestions? Email us at [email protected].