How to Report a Scam in the UK and the US

Imagine checking your bank account and noticing a payment that you didn't authorise. Maybe you have received a suspicious message that claims to be from your bank or a delivery company.

Scams are becoming increasingly common as scammers use fake websites, phishing messages and AI-powered voices to con people out of their money

However, even if you think that you have been scammed but have not lost any money, it is still important that you report the scam.

Understanding the right ways to report fraud can help you stay safe and stop others from losing money.

Whether you live in the United Kingdom or the United States, this article will give you an overview of the appropriate steps to report being scammed.

What Should You Do Straight After Being Scammed?

Before you proceed to report the scam, it is crucial that you take some precautionary measures

1. Stop Communicating With the Scammer

If the scammer asks you to send them more money or ask for your passwords or other personal information, it is best not to respond. Do not open any other links sent to you by the scammer.

Scammers often continue to contact people after defrauding them in an attempt to convince them to send further payments

2. Report to Your Bank or Other Payment Service

If you sent them any money, you should try to contact your bank or any other payment service that you might be using through the organisation's website or telephone number. Try contacting your bank to ask if it will be possible to stop or refund the payment.

If you used a credit card to pay the scammer, it is important that you ask whether it will be possible to dispute the payment

It is good to remember that you are not guaranteed to be refunded money sent to scammers as it depends on your payment service and whether you sent the money directly to them.

3. Secure Your Accounts and Devices

If you sent the scammer a password, it is important that you change it and utilise a strong and secure password and two-step verification process. If you installed any software sent to you by the scammer, avoid using your devices for any financial transactions until you determine that your device is no longer compromised

4. Retain Any Important Evidence

It is crucial that you retain evidence relating to the scam as much as possible so that it can be used when reporting the scam. This includes things such as screenshots of any messages sent to you by the scammer, phone numbers and email addresses associated with the scammer, web links relating to the scam, transaction receipts, dates and times of the scam, and any other evidence that might be relevant and available to you.

Do not delete any potentially useful evidence before reporting the scam.

How to Report a Scam in the UK

There are several ways to report a scam, phishing incident or suspicious call in the UK. The appropriate way to report it depends on the type of scam that you have experienced.

Step 1: Report Fraud to the National Reporting Service

If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you can report fraud or cybercrime to the national police fraud-reporting service, Report Fraud, which has replaced the former Action Fraud service.

Visit the Report Fraud website

and add the information that you have about the scam. Explain how the scammer contacted you and whether you lost any money to them

You should be given a reference number or confirmation that your information has been received and can be used to report the scam.

If you live in Scotland, you should report the fraud to Police Scotland, usually through the 101 number

Step 2: Report Suspicious Emails

If you have received an email notifying you that your bank account has been blocked or delivery payment is overdue, you can report this type of phishing scam to the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Forward any suspicious emails that you receive to

report@phishing.gov.uk

The NCSC will utilise the information in suspicious emails to identify malicious emails and websites

You are not required to report an email scam only after having lost money to a scam. You can report any suspicious email address and any phishing emails received.

Step 3: Report Scam Text Messages

Scam text messages can be reported to a free spam-reporting service provided by UK mobile networks by forwarding messages to

7726

For example, if you receive a text message requesting that you pay a delivery payment to a suspicious website, you should not visit the website and instead forward the message to 7726 and follow any instructions that your mobile service provider might give you.

Step 4: Contact Your Bank and Local Police When Necessary

If money has been stolen, it is best that you contact your bank as soon as possible. If you are in immediate danger or a crime has occurred, you should call 999. For other emergencies, your local police station and non-emergency police number 101 may be available

How to Report a Scam in the US

There are also several ways to report a scam in the US. It is not always necessary to know what law the scammer has broken before you report them.

Step 1: Report the Scam to the FTC

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) takes reports of scams, fraudulent companies, identity theft and other consumer-related problems.

Visit

ReportFraud.ftc.gov

and add information about the scam. Describe what occurred, the method by which the scammer contacted you and whether you lost any money to them

It is crucial to report scams that occur so that the FTC is aware of patterns and can protect consumers. However, reporting a scam does not always guarantee that the FTC will investigate your case individually or refund any money that you have lost.

Step 2: Report Internet Scams to the FBI

Internet scams such as scams that occur through email or a fraudulent website can be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3's website

IC3.gov

takes reports of all internet-related scams. This can include investment fraud, online shopping scams, business email compromise and other scams that utilise the internet in any way.

Make sure to report as much detail as possible about the scam that you have experienced and any relevant transactions that might be helpful to the FBI in investigating the scam

Step 3: Report Identity Theft

If someone has utilised your personal information to open bank accounts or make purchases, you may need to report identity theft. This can be done at

IdentityTheft.gov

This FTC service helps you create a plan on how to recover your identity based on the information that has been stolen or misused

Depending on the details of your case, you may also need to contact credit bureaus, financial institutions or any other organisations that have been affected by the scam.

Step 4: Contact Your Bank and Local Authorities

If the scam involved the unauthorised use of your money, it is a good idea to contact your bank or card provider as soon as possible. If you are being threatened or in an emergency, you should dial 911. In other cases, your local police station may accept a report, especially if it relates to stolen property, threats or identity misuse.

UK vs US: Where Should You Report a Scam?

This summary should help you remember the primary ways to report a scam in the UK or the US.

Depending on the scam that you have experienced, it may be appropriate to contact different organisations.

Can You Recover Money Lost to a Scam?

This is usually the first question that people ask after experiencing a scam. Unfortunately there is no definitive answer as it depends on how you paid the scammer and whether it is possible to recover the money through your bank, card provider or another organisation. Some scams allow you to recover money from the scammer, whereas others do not.

It is important to be wary of anyone who contacts you after experiencing a scam and asks for money in exchange for recovering the money that you lost to the scam as this can be a scam itself.

Why Reporting Scams Matters

You might be wondering whether it is worth it to report a scam, especially after experiencing a scam that you did not lose any money to

It definitely is

Reporting a scam can be important as it can help authorities and security companies identify malicious phone numbers, suspicious websites and repeated scams of this nature that might occur in the future. If you experience the same scam as someone else, the reports that you make might help authorities investigate the scam.

Final Thoughts

In order to con people out of their money, scammers utilise confusion and urgency to get victims to act blindly without thinking about the consequences. Understanding what to do after being scammed is an important way to protect yourself against scams. In the UK, Report Fraud, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre provide different ways to report scams. In the US, the FTC, FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and IdentityTheft.gov can be used to report scams of different kinds. Regardless of where you live, it is important to remember three things: stop communicating with the scammer, protect your accounts and money and report the scam in the most appropriate way. You might not be able to stop every scam attempt, but knowing what to do can help you and others stay safe.