FTC urges scam targets to speak up: what to do in the first hour after fraud

The FTC’s new message: silence helps scammers

The Federal Trade Commission used an August 28 consumer alert to make a direct request: tell someone when you spot a scam, and file a report. The agency says many fraud experiences are never reported. A submission to ReportFraud.ftc.gov enters the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure database available to federal, state and local law enforcement. Investigators and analysts use those reports to identify patterns, develop cases and warn the public about emerging tactics. One report may not produce an immediate arrest or refund, but silence leaves authorities with less evidence.

First, stop the transaction and break contact

Do not send another payment to “unlock” a refund, prove loyalty or keep an account from being closed. End the conversation, but preserve messages and payment details before blocking the sender. Then contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire service, gift-card company, cryptocurrency exchange or ATM operator involved. Use a phone number from the back of the card, a trusted statement or the company’s official website—not a number supplied by the person who contacted you. Tell the institution the transaction was connected to fraud and ask whether it can be stopped, reversed or disputed. Recovery is never guaranteed, but delay can narrow the available options.

Protect accounts before the damage spreads

If you disclosed a password, change it immediately from a device you control. Change it anywhere else you reused it, and turn on multifactor authentication. If someone had remote access to a phone or computer, update the security software, run a scan and remove anything it flags before using the device for sensitive accounts. Review recent bank, card, email and social-account activity for changes you did not make. If a Social Security number or other identity information may be involved, IdentityTheft.gov can build a recovery plan for the specific information exposed.

Build a clean evidence file

Save the sender’s name, profile handle, email address, phone number and website; the dates and times of contact; screenshots or exports of messages; receipts; transaction IDs; wallet addresses; shipping information; and the exact instructions you received. Keep original files when possible and write a short timeline while the sequence is fresh. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report says transaction information in IC3 complaints helps investigators understand how money moved and can support the bureau’s financial-fraud recovery process when reports arrive quickly. Do not keep engaging with a suspected scammer simply to gather more evidence.

Report to the FTC—and use IC3 for internet crime

ReportFraud.ftc.gov is the FTC’s main intake site for scams and bad business practices. Internet-enabled fraud can also be reported at IC3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. A person facing threats, stalking, extortion or immediate danger should also contact local law enforcement; call 911 for an emergency. These channels serve different purposes, so filing with one does not always replace the others. Give accurate facts, keep confirmation numbers and update the appropriate institution if new unauthorized activity appears.

Watch for the second scam: paid recovery offers

People who have already lost money are often approached again by someone claiming to be a government agent, lawyer, investigator or recovery specialist. The FTC warns that an unexpected promise to recover funds in exchange for an upfront fee or sensitive financial information is another scam. Do not use contact details supplied in that message. Look up the agency, bank or company independently and ask whether the outreach is genuine. No legitimate government office needs cryptocurrency, gift cards or a “processing payment” to release recovered money.

A scam is not a character test

Fraud works by creating urgency, trust, fear or secrecy—not by identifying a particular type of person. Embarrassment can make the financial and emotional damage worse if it delays help. Tell one trusted person what happened and ask them to sit with you while you call institutions or complete reports. If the experience has triggered an emotional crisis or thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988 in the United States; call 911 for immediate danger. NOCTI is covering this as community safety because scams can enter through dating, work, investments, shopping and private online life. It is not a financial adviser, law firm or law-enforcement agency.

Sources

• FTC Consumer Alert: Did you spot a scam? Here’s what to do next (August 28, 2026) ↗
• FTC Consumer Advice: What To Do if You Were Scammed (updated June 2026) ↗
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: 2025 IC3 Annual Report ↗
• FTC Consumer Advice: Refund and Recovery Scams ↗
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call, text or chat 988 ↗