It’s National Consumer Protection Week, and while AARP works year-round to help protect people from fraud, this is a good time to talk about how and why to report fraud.

Fraud is widely underreported in this country. Sometimes, people don’t realize that fraud is a crime. Other times, victims don’t report because of undeserved feelings of shame or embarrassment. The lack of a single, centralized reporting system may also deter reporting. Here is some guidance on where you can report.

Your bank: If you recognize a scam right away and it involves your financial institution, contact them immediately. They may be able to stop or reverse transactions, or freeze your account to help prevent additional payments or withdrawals by scammers.

Local law enforcement: Filing a report creates an official record, which may be helpful for future restitution. Reporting also matters because the more people who come forward, the more information law enforcement has to identify patterns and catch criminals.

The feds: You can also report scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. While federal agencies don’t typically follow up on individual cases, these reports help them track trends and better understand the scope of the problem.

Lawmakers: Consider sharing your experience with lawmakers — including local legislators, your state attorney general and Members of Congress. The more they hear directly from constituents about fraud, the more likely they are to take action to address it.

Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Send an email to me@aarp.org. 

Join our AARP Maine monthly fraud watch discussion over Zoom. Learn more and register here.