Why should you report a scam to the Federal Trade Commission?

report a scam to the Federal Trade CommissionThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act. Its principal mission is the promotion of consumer protection

To report a scam to the Federal Trade Commission click here:

https://ReportFraud.ftc.gov/

To be convinced of why you should file a report, continue reading……

Complaint investigations.

The Federal Trade Commission investigates and compiles evidence of every type of scam which targets American citizens. The FTC have created a tool called Sentinel to gather information on scams.

The Consumer Sentinel Network (CSN) is a unique investigative cyber tool that provides law enforcement members with access to millions of consumer complaints. Based on the premise that sharing complaint information can make law enforcement even more effective, CSN allows members to access consumer complaints submitted directly to the FTC, as well as to complaints shared by over 40 data contributors, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 20 State Attorneys General, and all North American Better Business Bureaus. Over 2,300 federal, state, local, and international law enforcement users have access to CSN, and hundreds of individual members access the system each week.  State and local law enforcement can use it to view fraud at the county and town/city levels.”

The FTC will share your information. This means that the information you give will be used in every possible way to shut down these scammers. Their website states that:

“We [the FTC] share your report with local, state, federal, and foreign law enforcement partners. Your report might be used to investigate cases or in a legal proceeding. If we need to know more about your report, it helps us to have your contact information. Please read our Privacy Policy to learn how we protect your personal information, and when we share it outside the FTC.”

It works with the information that you, the consumer, reports to it.
Pet scams have been around for years (I came across them over 10 years ago) but have never been as prevalent as they are today. If 90% of the people who have been scammed by these scams do not report  them then they will never get the attentions they deserve.
Until this scam is exposed for what it is it will continue to defraud consumers.
By reporting a scam to the Federal Trade Commission you help to create a better picture of who this scam targets, how much money the scammers steal and what resources the scammers are using to scam.

You may have been targeted, you may have lost money but by reporting these scams you are making a positive step towards  stopping these criminals.

How to report a scam to the Federal Trade Commission

  1. Go to https://ReportFraud.ftc.gov/
  2. Choose “Scams and Rip-offs” from the left hand menu.
  3. Choose “NO MATCH FOUND” as the sub-category.
  4. Complete all the information as fully and accurately as possible.
    Take your time on this and read the instructions.
  5. Click the “Submit” button.

Other places you should report Pet Scams to:

File an investigation with us

Your local Law Enforcment

Your bank or money transfer company

File a report with the Better Business Bureau


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