Your complaint is an essential resource for local, state, and federal law
enforcement officials. Law enforcers review consumer complaints to spot trends
and build cases against hackers, identity thieves, and scam artists.
Here's how to file a complaint about various types of Internet-related
problems:
Hacking or a Computer Virus
If your computer gets hacked or infected by a virus, disconnect from the
Internet and scan it with fully updated anti-virus software, and update your
firewall. Then notify your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the hacker's ISP,
if you can tell what it is. Finally, file a complaint with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Spyware
If you believe your computer has spyware, the FTC wants to know.
File a
complaint with the FTC.
Phishing
Forward spam that is phishing for information to
spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or
organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have
information on their websites about where to report problems. You also may
report phishing email to
reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, a
consortium of ISPs, security vendors, financial institutions and law enforcement
agencies, uses these reports to fight phishing. If you believe you've been
scammed, file your complaint at
ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC's Identity Theft
website at
www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Victims
of phishing can become victims of identity theft.
Spam
Should you receive an email that you think may be fraudulent, forward it to
the FTC at
spam@uce.gov and to the abuse desk
of the sender's ISP. Also, if the email appears to be impersonating a bank or
other company or organization, forward the message to the actual organization.
Online Shopping Fraud
If you have problems during a transaction, try to work them out directly with
the seller, buyer or site operator. If that doesn't work, file a complaint with:
- The Attorney General's office
in your state. (See listing below)
- Your county or state consumer protection
agency. Check the blue pages of the phone book under county and state
government.
- The
Better
Business Bureau.
- The
FTC.
Identity Theft