Bringing Your Tech to Life DSIR Resource – Recovery Guide Appendix C
Bringing Your Tech to Life DSIR Resource – Appendix C
Appendix C – Government Reporting and Complaint Resources
Where and When to Report an Incident
Not every incident must be reported to every agency. The appropriate reporting path depends on
what happened, what information was exposed, whether money was lost, and whether there is an
ongoing threat. Before filing an online report, protect any affected financial accounts and stop
continuing losses. Contact a bank, credit-card company, payment service, cryptocurrency exchange,
or other financial institution using a verified telephone number from its official website,
mobile application, account statement, or by using the phone number located on the back of the
payment card.
Federal Trade Commission — Identity Theft
Use IdentityTheft.gov when someone has used—or may be using—your identifying information without
permission. The service can produce an FTC Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery
plan.
Website: https://www.IdentityTheft.gov
Telephone: 1-877-438-4338
Federal Trade Commission — Scams and Fraud
Use ReportFraud.ftc.gov to report scams, fraudulent businesses, impersonation attempts, deceptive
practices, and related financial fraud.
Website: https://ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Use the CFPB complaint portal when a bank, lender, credit-card company, credit-reporting company,
money-transfer service, or another covered financial company has not resolved a consumer
complaint. When disputing credit-report information, first follow the credit-reporting company’s
dispute process.
Website: https://www.ConsumerFinance.gov/Complaint
Federal Communications Commission Consumer Complaint Center
Use the FCC Consumer Complaint Center for unwanted calls or texts, caller-ID spoofing, and
complaints involving telephone or internet service providers. Contact the provider first when
practical.
Website: https://ConsumerComplaints.FCC.gov
Securities and Exchange Commission and Investor.gov
Use Investor.gov and the SEC’s complaint resources for possible investment, brokerage,
securities, or investment-related cryptocurrency fraud. Internet-enabled fraud may also be
reported to IC3.
Website: https://www.Investor.gov
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
Use IC3 for internet-enabled fraud, remote-access scams, business-email compromise, online
extortion, cryptocurrency fraud, account compromise, and other cyber-related crimes.
Website: https://www.IC3.gov
Report the incident even if you are uncertain whether it qualifies. Preserve transaction records,
wallet addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, website addresses, usernames, dates, times,
and communications before filing.
Be alert for criminals impersonating the FBI or IC3 after a loss. IC3 does not charge victims to
recover money and does not refer victims to companies demanding payment for recovery.
Internal Revenue Service
Use IRS resources when someone may have filed a fraudulent tax return, misused tax information,
or sent an IRS-themed phishing message.
Identity-theft information: https://www.IRS.gov/Identity-Theft-Central
Identity Protection PIN: https://www.IRS.gov/IPPIN
Report phishing and
online scams: https://www.irs.gov/help/report-fraud/report-fake-irs-treasury-or-tax-related-emails-and-messages
Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General
Use the SSA Office of the Inspector General when reporting Social Security impersonation scams,
misuse of a Social Security number, benefit fraud, or other fraud involving Social Security
programs.
Website: https://OIG.SSA.gov/Report
Telephone: 1-800-269-0271
TTY: 1-866-501-2101
SSA impersonation-scam guidance: https://www.SSA.gov/Scam
United States Postal Inspection Service
Use the Postal Inspection Service when a scam, fraudulent payment, identity-theft event, or mail
theft involves the United States Mail.
Website: https://www.uspis.gov/report
Telephone: 1-877-876-2455
North Carolina Department of Justice
North Carolina residents can report consumer scams, identity-theft concerns, and deceptive
business practices to the Consumer Protection Division.
Website: https://www.NCDOJ.gov/File-a-Complaint
Consumer hotline: 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or 1-877-566-7226
Raleigh-area telephone:
919-716-6000
Virginia Office of the Attorney General
Virginia residents can report consumer scams, identity-theft concerns, and deceptive business
practices to the Consumer Protection Section.
Website: https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumercomplaintform/
Consumer hotline within Virginia: 1-800-552-9963
Richmond area or outside Virginia:
804-786-2042
National Elder Fraud Hotline
People age 60 or older—and family members assisting them—may contact the National Elder Fraud
Hotline for help identifying appropriate reporting and recovery steps.
Website: https://www.Justice.gov/StopElderFraud
Telephone: 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.
to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Be alert for criminals impersonating the National Elder Fraud Hotline. An unexpected caller
claiming to represent the hotline should not threaten, demand payment, or request sensitive
information. End the contact and call the published hotline number independently.
Local Law Enforcement
Local law enforcement is generally not the first reporting destination for a routine phishing
attempt, suspicious message, remote-access scam, online account compromise, or internet fraud
involving an unknown or distant offender. In those situations, first stop continuing losses,
protect affected accounts, preserve evidence, and use the appropriate federal or state reporting
resources described in this appendix.
Contact a local police department or sheriff’s office when:
There is an immediate physical threat, threat of violence, or active and time-sensitive crime.
The suspected offender may be local.
A device, payment card, check, mail, money, or other physical property was stolen locally.
Someone has actually used your identifying information to open an account, obtain services,
avoid prosecution, or commit another crime.A bank, creditor, insurer, attorney, employer, or government agency requests a police report.
An official report may be needed to support a dispute, insurance claim, identity-theft recovery
step, or other legal process.
For a non-emergency, contact the agency through its published non-emergency telephone number. Ask
whether the agency will accept an informational or identity-theft report. Bring copies rather
than the only originals of important evidence, and request the report number and instructions for
obtaining a copy.
Filing a report does not guarantee that the local agency will investigate the incident or recover
lost money. The report may nevertheless provide an important official record.
If there is immediate physical danger, an active threat of violence, or a medical emergency, call
911.