How to report a scam?

Discussion in Scams = To Good To Be True started by saveraddict • Sep 23, 2013.

  1. saveraddict

    saveraddictMember

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    Often I get an email or regular mail I know is a scam. I would like to know if there is a convenient way to report it, a site or a phone number or both that I could contact and just give the info, or forward the email. Then if they get enough complaints they would investigate. That would stop a lot of these scams. Bur for it to work it must be easy to do, otherwise nobody would bother, unless they got burned, and by then it's too late.
     
  2. deansaliba

    deansalibaActive Member

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    Sadly I do not believe there is much that can be done. If it is from an email address that I am aware of *Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc) then I will report it to them and they will shut the account down, but this is no hindrance to the scammer who will just use another account.
     
  3. mmug

    mmugAdministrator
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    If you believe you may have fallen victim to any kind of scam, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at

    Log In

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  4. saveraddict

    saveraddictMember

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    That is something that can be done, or you can even make a written complaint if you believe there you are just being harassed by the scammer. The point is that it is too much paperwork to bother. I was wondering if there is some sort of database where you can report the incident, send them the email or a scan of the paper mail, and when they get, say, 100 or 500 complaints about someone they would investigate. This would protect as I said the victims that would fall for the scam, and make it far more dangerous for any scammer to operate.
     
  5. RotBaron

    RotBaronNew Member

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    Unfortunately there is not much that any agency or enforcement firm can do about these things. A lot of scam emails originate out of state and that's why they're able to continue to run these operations without persecution. They often come from third world countries where the United States has no working relations with the government and won't cooperate.

    I think it's great that you want to do something about it though. I think spreading the info about these things is the best we can do. Especially for those most at risk, naive youngsters and our elderly.
     
  6. Banister

    BanisterMember

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    I think the way to report a phishing scam email depends on its origin. If it comes from yahoo.com you can definitely report it to [email protected] ,Gmail and GOOGLE as well provide buttons where you can click to report any scammed emails. I as well here guys say you can report it to your local police office but I always doubt it, because i personally do not see much connection between a police and a scammed email.
     
  7. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    There's not much you can do about a 'scammy' email. There's no way you can track someone using a free e-mail account because the information they use could be [and most of the time, actually is] falsified. So for emails, just block that person and forget about it.

    However, if you get scammed by some online store, then report that to the right authority. Just type "report spam" into Google, hit enter and it'll get you the appropriate website to make your complaint.
     
  8. gracer

    gracerActive Member

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    I also didn't have any idea on how to report an e-mail scam until I read this thread. I usually just delete any e-mail message coming from a source I never knew of that's why I haven't really given much attention to reporting scam messages. These days I've been hearing an increase in phishing scams that's why I'm really extra careful now when it comes to the e-mails I read. I have always applied the principle "don't talk to strangers," so if I don't really know the source of an e-mail and I notice there's something fishy about it I just immediately delete it.
     
  9. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    One of the best ways to report scam emails is to report it as spam within your email client. If it is a phishing scam, then you can also report it as a phishing scam in the email client. You can do it in the hotmail/live client at least, though I have never really seen this option in the gmail client. I am sure it is there though.
     
  10. Diane Lane

    Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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    I use several Yahoo email accounts, and there's a SPAM button within the email inbox. I just check off the email and click the SPAM button. That usually works, but there is one persistent account I keep getting emails from. Perhaps the sender addresses are different, but it always says something like 'amazing suv choices' or similar. I repeatedly send it to SPAM, but that hasn't stopped them from coming.
     
  11. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina IsobeWell-Known Member

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    :oops:Reporting scams is a very good idea because they'll eventually get caught and you'll be helping the world be rid of dangerous culprits who have hurt many people worldwide. I'm a victim of id and name theft and even account theft. They'll worm their way into all your accounts if you give them a chance to so reporting them will stop them. My facebook account has been used to do nasty things to people luckily they contact me and I tell them it isn't me...criminal id theft is dangerous they hurt people in many dangerous ways. I get in touch with facebook and report them to ic3.gov. I've caught them trying to link to my cable account with another phone number, got 35 credit cards that I did not open any account with, I have had emails asking me where do they send the money...it sounds like extortion so I explain to them that it isn't me and I'm a victim of id and name theft and please report it to the FBI. It's been over a decade and they still persist to damage my name by doing crime with it, but I report them time after time and they still don't stop! Report them so they cannot harm no one else, please-thanks! Here are some helpful sites:

    *

    Log In



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    Log In



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  12. DreekLass

    DreekLassWell-Known Member

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    Most people these days are using gmail to some degree though, and for as frequently as I use my gmail account, I don't think I have ever seen the options to report specific types of spam or scam emails. The phishing ones are the most dangerous one, in my opinion. If gmail does not have a system in place to report those emails, then they should follow in hotmail's footsteps and implement one, for sure, because when you report it, that will blacklist that email address for everyone. Then the scammers have to keep reinventing themselves, otherwise their emails go straight to people's junk mail.
     
  13. filmjunkie08

    filmjunkie08Active Member

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    An attempt to scam me via email occurred to me several times. I wrote to the Attorney General of my state (Texas) and complained about the scams. I provided as much information regarding the scams as I could. I was never sure if it helped legally, but I felt better bringing to the attention of a legal entity.