• Stop the scam for others — Your report can connect the dots in an investigation. • Protect your identity and finances — Some reports give you an official record you can use with banks or credit bureaus. • Help law enforcement catch the bad actors — Agencies can see patterns they might otherwise miss.

When you file a scam report, it goes into a secure database shared with many agencies — including the FBI, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and local police. • The FTC keeps a national record of scams and shares it with thousands of agencies. • The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) takes reports of online or computer-related scams and investigates patterns.

• You will not be charged to file a report. • You will get a confirmation number when you submit. • You may or may not be contacted directly — even if you aren’t, your report still helps. • If you’re reporting identity theft, the FTC will give you a personalized recovery plan. We recommend you report to both organizations (FTC and FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center), especially if you have encountered a scam.

If you’re not sure, don’t worry. In most cases, filing with the FTC is the right first step because they share reports with thousands of law enforcement agencies. If the scam happened online or through the internet (like phishing, hacked accounts, or online payment fraud), it’s also a good idea to file with the FBI’s IC3. And if you’d like step-by-step guidance, you can use USA.gov’s reporting tool (https://www.usa.gov/where-report-scams)— it will ask you a few quick questions and send you to the right place.

It’s not required, but we recommend it for the best impact. • The FTC report makes sure your case is logged in the national fraud database, visible to many agencies. • The FBI IC3 report goes directly to the FBI for review of internet and cyber-related crimes. Reporting to both gives your information the widest reach and the best chance of being connected to an investigation.

Yes. Filing a report is free and done directly through the official government websites we link to. Golden Age does not collect your personal information, and we do not see your report. The information you provide goes securely to the FTC, FBI, or other government agencies. You will receive a confirmation number when you file, but Golden Age will not have access to your case details.

Maybe, but not always. The FTC and FBI do not usually respond to individual reports unless your case becomes part of an active investigation. Even if you don’t hear back, your report still makes a difference — it helps build evidence and may stop the scam from hurting others.

If you lost money, file your report right away and also contact your bank, credit card company, or payment provider to try to stop or reverse the transaction. Reporting to the FTC or FBI may help law enforcement track down scammers, but it usually won’t get your money back directly. Acting quickly with your financial institution is the best way to limit losses.