Comprehensive resources for consumer protection, identity theft recovery, fraud reporting, and your consumer rights in the United States.
Consumer fraud losses in 2024
25% increase from 2023Identity theft reports filed
9.5% increase in complaintsTotal identity fraud losses
American adults affectedFraud reports to FTC
Via Consumer Sentinel NetworkThe Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is America's primary consumer protection agency. It provides comprehensive resources, complaint reporting systems, and consumer education on fraud prevention, identity theft, and consumer rights.
The FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network received 6.5 million reports in 2024, including fraud and identity theft complaints. The top three report categories are:
Visit consumer.ftc.gov for comprehensive guidance on:
IdentityTheft.gov is a one-stop resource specifically for identity theft victims. When you report identity theft at this site, you will:
Key Statistics: In 2024, identity theft complaints increased 9.5% to 1,135,270, with credit card fraud being the most common form (449,076 complaints) and miscellaneous identity theft at 32.4% of all identity theft cases.
Every state has a consumer protection office (usually within the Attorney General's office) that helps consumers file complaints, investigate fraud, and enforce consumer protection laws. Your state office can assist with local scams, unfair business practices, and consumer disputes.
Each state operates a consumer protection office through its Attorney General. Here are resources for finding state-specific consumer protection:
Most state consumer complaints are handled through your state Attorney General's Office. Here are links to selected state consumer protection divisions:
What State Offices Can Help With:
Identity theft affects millions of Americans annually. The good news is there are clear recovery steps and prevention methods to protect yourself. The FTC provides a complete recovery program at IdentityTheft.gov.
Step 1: Report to FTC
Visit IdentityTheft.gov and create a report. This generates your Identity Theft Report, which you can use to dispute fraudulent charges and accounts.
Step 2: Contact Companies & Freeze Accounts
Call fraud departments of any companies where fraud occurred. Ask them to:
Also change passwords and PINs for all your online accounts, starting with financial accounts and email.
Step 3: Place Fraud Alert
Contact the three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This alerts lenders to verify your identity before opening new accounts in your name.
Step 4: Review Credit Reports
Get your free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com. You're entitled to one free report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus:
Review for fraudulent accounts, inquiries, and inaccuracies. Dispute any unauthorized activity.
Step 5: Monitor Credit & Set Credit Freeze
A credit freeze prevents new accounts from being opened in your name without your consent. To place a credit freeze:
Step 6: Take Action with Sample Letters
IdentityTheft.gov provides pre-filled, ready-to-send letters for:
| Feature | Credit Freeze | Fraud Alert |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Duration | Indefinite until lifted | 1 year (initial) or 7 years (extended) |
| How It Works | Blocks access to credit report - prevents new credit accounts | Alerts lenders to verify identity before opening accounts |
| Affect Credit Score | No | No |
| Best For | Maximum protection; prevents new account fraud | Initial concern about fraud; allows credit checks with verification |
| Implementation | Contact 3 credit bureaus | Contact 1 credit bureau (notifies others) |
Recommendation: Consider placing BOTH a fraud alert and credit freeze for comprehensive protection against identity theft.
Scams cost Americans billions annually. Report scams to help law enforcement identify and stop fraudsters. The FTC, FBI, and state agencies work together to track and prosecute scammers.
Over 847,000 complaints in 2024. Scammers impersonate:
$1.14 billion in reported losses. Scammers:
Losses jumped significantly - reports nearly tripled between 2020-2024:
One of the most prevalent and damaging fraud schemes today. Scammers:
Schemes designed to trick you into providing sensitive information:
Most common online fraud. Protection tips:
2024 Fraud Statistics: Consumers reported $12.5 billion in fraud losses, a 25% increase from 2023.
The Better Business Bureau provides business ratings, customer reviews, and a complaint resolution process. BBB helps consumers find trustworthy businesses and resolve disputes.
Beyond basic complaint handling, BBB offers these resolution options:
BBB Accredited Businesses demonstrate commitment to ethical business practices. When choosing a business, look for:
Federal and state laws protect your consumer rights in credit, debt collection, and financial services. Understanding these rights helps you take action against unfair practices.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates how credit bureaus, lenders, and employers use your credit information. Your key rights include:
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices. Your key protections include:
Filing complaints helps authorities identify patterns of fraud and illegal business practices. Your report helps law enforcement take action and protects other consumers.
Time Required: Usually less than 10 minutes online
The FTC received 6.5 million complaints in 2024 through the Consumer Sentinel Network. This data helps:
Protect your credit and prevent fraudulent accounts from being opened in your name. These free tools are available to every American.
Cost: FREE | Duration: Indefinite until you lift it | Effect on Credit Score: NONE
When a credit freeze is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name without your permission. Creditors won't be able to see your credit report, which prevents identity thieves from opening new accounts.
Contact the three major credit bureaus. You only need to contact ONE - but contacting all three provides comprehensive protection:
Cost: FREE | Effect on Credit Score: NONE
A fraud alert appears in your credit file, instructing lenders and creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit accounts.
Contact any ONE of the three credit bureaus and they will notify the other two:
If you suspect identity theft, take these immediate steps:
2024 Statistic: Over 1.1 million identity theft reports were filed with the FTC in 2024. The most common form is credit card fraud (449,076 complaints), accounting for 43.9% of all identity thefts.
Credit Freeze: Blocks access to your credit report entirely. New creditors won't see your credit file, making it nearly impossible for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. The freeze remains in place until you lift it. You can temporarily remove it when applying for legitimate credit.
Fraud Alert: Tells creditors to verify your identity before opening new credit accounts. Creditors can still access your credit report, but they must take extra steps to confirm you're authorizing the credit request.
Which should you use? Consider using BOTH for comprehensive protection. A credit freeze provides maximum protection by blocking access to your credit report, while a fraud alert offers flexibility if you need to apply for credit while still protecting against unauthorized accounts.
Reporting fraud to the FTC helps law enforcement identify and stop scammers. Here's how:
Method 1: Online (Fastest)
Method 2: By Phone
Method 3: For Identity Theft Specifically
For Telemarketing Violations: File at DoNotCall.gov
Impact of Your Report: The FTC received 6.5 million complaints in 2024 through the Consumer Sentinel Network. Reports are analyzed to identify fraud patterns, which helps law enforcement take action against scammers and issue public warnings about emerging scams.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects you from abusive debt collection practices. Here are your key rights:
What Debt Collectors CANNOT Do:
Your Rights When Contacted:
If They Violate Your Rights: You can sue for actual damages plus statutory damages. You may recover attorney fees and court costs.
Report Violations:
Get Your Free Credit Reports:
What to Check For:
How to Dispute Errors:
If You're an Identity Theft Victim:
Know Your Rights (FCRA): Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have the right to access your credit information, dispute inaccuracies, and receive notice if information is used against you in credit, employment, or insurance decisions.
Imposter Scams (Largest Category - 847,000+ complaints in 2024)
Scammers impersonate government agencies (Social Security, IRS, Medicare), banks, tech companies (Apple, Microsoft), or law enforcement.
How to avoid: Government agencies won't call threatening arrest. Verify by calling the official phone number yourself. Never click links in unsolicited emails or texts.
Romance Scams ($1.14 billion in losses)
Scammers create fake profiles on dating apps/sites, build trust over weeks or months, then ask for money or personal information.
How to avoid: Be suspicious of quick declarations of love or pressure to move to private messaging. Video call before sending money (they may use deepfakes). Never send money to someone you've only met online. Reverse image search profile photos.
Job Scams (Losses jumped from $90M to $501M between 2020-2024)
Fake job postings ask for upfront fees or personal information, or offer jobs that don't exist.
How to avoid: Never pay upfront fees for job applications. Legitimate employers don't ask for payment. Be suspicious of job offers without interviews. Verify the company through their official website.
Online Shopping Fraud (Second most common fraud category)
Counterfeit websites or sellers offer deals that are too good to be true.
How to avoid: Look for HTTPS and padlock icon. Research websites before purchasing. Beware of extremely low prices. Use credit cards (not debit or payment apps). Enable two-factor authentication. Never use wire transfers or gift cards with unknown sellers.
Phishing & Spoofing
Fake emails, texts, or websites that trick you into providing passwords, PINs, or account numbers.
How to avoid: Don't click links in unsolicited emails/texts. Go directly to official websites by typing the URL. Banks won't ask for passwords via email. Report phishing attempts to the company being impersonated.
Investment/Cryptocurrency Fraud ("Pig Butchering")
Scammers pose as investment advisors, luring victims into fake cryptocurrency investments that they ultimately lose.
How to avoid: Legitimate investment advisors are registered with SEC or FINRA. Be suspicious of guaranteed returns. Research before investing. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Use official apps/websites for investments.
General Prevention Tips:
The Better Business Bureau provides a free complaint resolution service for consumers dealing with local businesses.
Step 1: File Your Complaint
Step 2: BBB Processes Your Complaint
Step 3: Resolution Process
BBB Dispute Resolution Methods
Additional BBB Services
Note: BBB is best for local business complaints. For larger companies, national scams, or fraud, file with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Register with the National Do Not Call Registry
What the Registry Does
Report Violations
For Robocalls & Scam Calls
Additional Protection Tips
Note: Scammers often ignore the Do Not Call Registry. Your best protection is hanging up and reporting the call to authorities.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protects your credit information and your rights regarding credit reports. Here are your key protections:
Right to Access Your Credit Information
Right to Be Notified
Right to Dispute Inaccurate Information
Right to Credit Freezing & Fraud Alerts
If Your Rights Are Violated
Where to Report FCRA Violations
Additional FCRA Protections
Every state has consumer protection resources to help with local scams, unfair business practices, and consumer disputes.
Find Your State's Consumer Protection Office
What Your State Consumer Office Can Help With
State Attorney General Consumer Protection Divisions
Most state consumer complaints are handled by the Attorney General's Office. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) maintains a directory of all state attorneys general.
Sample State Resources
Federal Resources for All States
Multiple Complaint Channels
For comprehensive protection, consider filing complaints with both your state consumer protection office AND relevant federal agencies (FTC, CFPB). This ensures your complaint is investigated at both state and federal levels.
Last updated on November 24, 2025