Everyone gets scammed at least once. Unfortunately, most people don’t know where or how to report a scam. As a result, scammers get away without so much as a slap on the wrist and continue scamming others unabated. Further, online scams are not taken seriously by authorities as the majority of them go unreported.
If you are the victim of a scam, first of all, don’t despair! You can check out our handy guide on how to handle things: I’ve Been Scammed, What Now?
Next, it is important that you take some time to report the scam not only to give yourself a chance of getting your money back, but also to prevent others from getting scammed in the future. In this article, we have put together a list of authorities dealing with cybercrime in each country. Learn about who you should contact to report a scam and how to make sure you have the best possibility to stop the scammers!
The following steps are adapted from Jennifer Mueller’s article at wikiHow:
When you’ve been scammed, the process leading up to this point can be weeks or months, involving email communication, payment, delivery etc. It can be helpful to sit down and think through the order of what has led to the scam itself. Below is an example:
It might sound like a simple exercise, but this allows you to collect as much relevant information as possible which may be useful when reporting a scam. It can also help you identify the parties involved with whom you can get in touch for a resolution.
This is an important step and can include the collection of the following:
If you have purchased a product or service, often there will be evidence such as receipts, bank statements etc. that can be useful. It’s better to be meticulous when collecting this information, as even tiny details can help authorities identify and track down the scammer!
That might sound simple, but with the global nature of the internet often the victims, criminals and the goods can be in three different locations. However, if you have been threatened by the scammer, our advice would be to contact local law enforcement immediately.
So, we’ve put together a handy guide on law enforcement and government agencies you can contact in order to report an online scam. We’ve ordered it by country/region to help you find the most relevant organizations.
The United States Department of Justice has stated the following when it comes to different kinds of online crimes/scams (as of publication).
Computer Intrusion (i.e. hacking)
Password trafficking
Child Pornography or Exploitation
Internet fraud and SPAM
Internet harassment
Other resources include:
Are there organisations or contacts that are missing from this list? Please contact us!
Apart from contact authorities to report the scam, there are steps you can take yourself in order to get your money back from scammers. Know more by visiting our section How to Get Your Money Back From a Scam.
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam. Common Sense: Too Good To Be True When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact. If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website. Check Out the Social Media Links Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!! If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used. PayPal Debit card/Credit card Bank transfer Wire transfer Google Pay Bitcoin PayPal If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase. Conditions to file a dispute: The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple." The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the