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: How To Report Scams and Frauds in

How to Report Scams and Frauds in United States
Government agency resources: phone numbers, links to their websites and contact email addresses

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How to report scams, frauds, schemes and crimes in United States

Most scams violate federal laws and regulations, but a few are investigated by state or local authorities.  In general, if a scam uses the national services, like the US mail postal service, that would be reported to the related national agency, like the USPS, (see this page for reporting federal agencies). Scams involving businesses and scammers operating from a location within a state's borders would often be reported to a state agency. City, county, regional, and state consumer offices offer a variety of important services. They might mediate complaints, conduct investigations, prosecute offenders of consumer laws, license and regulate professional service providers, provide educational materials and advocate for consumer rights. To save time, call before sending a written complaint. Ask if the office handles the type of complaint you have and if complaint forms are provided. See the United States list of state agencies below:

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United States Scam Reporting Agencies and Consumer Protection Offices

State Consumer Protection Offices

• Office of Kansas Attorney
  Address: Office of Kansas Attorney
  Consumer Protection Division
  120 S.W. 10th St., Suite 430
  Topeka, KS 66612-1597
  Phone Number: 785-296-3751
  Toll-free: 1-800-432-2310 (KS)

County Consumer Protection Offices

• Douglas County District Attorney's Office
  Email:
  districtattorney@douglas-county.com
  Address: Douglas County District Attorney's Office
  Consumer Protection Division
  111 E. 11th St.
  Lawrence, KS 66044
  Phone Number: 785-330-2849 (Consumer Hotline) 785-841-0211 (Main)
  
• Johnson County District Attorney's Office
  Address: Johnson County District Attorney's Office
  Consumer Protection Division
  Consumer Fraud Unit
  PO Box 728
  Olathe, KS 66051
  Phone Number: 913-715-3003 (Consumer Hotline)
  
• Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office
  Email:
  consumer@sedgwick.gov
  Address: Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office
  Consumer Division
  1900 E. Morris St.
  Wichita, KS 67211
  Phone Number: 316-660-3600
  Toll-free: 1-800-432-6878 (KS)

Banking Authorities

The officials listed in this section regulate and supervise state-chartered banks. Many of them handle or refer problems and complaints about other types of financial institutions as well. Some also answer general questions about banking and consumer credit. If you are dealing with a federally chartered bank, check Federal Agencies.

• Office of the State Bank Commissioner
  Email:
  complaints@osbckansas.org.
  Address: Office of the State Bank Commissioner
  700 S.W. Jackson St., Suite 300
  Topeka, KS 66603
  Phone Number: 785-296-2266

Insurance Regulators

Each state has its own laws and regulations for each type of insurance. The officials listed in this section enforce these laws. Many of these offices can also provide you with information to help you make informed insurance buying decisions.

• Insurance Department
  Email:
  webcomplaints@ksinsurance.org.
  Address: Insurance Department
  Consumer Assistance Division
  420 S.W. 9th St.
  Topeka, KS 66612
  Phone Number: 785-296-7829
  Toll-free: 1-800-432-2484
  TTY: 1-877-235-3151

Securities Administrators

Each state has its own laws and regulations for securities brokers and securities - including stocks, mutual funds, commodities, real estate, etc. The officials and agencies listed in this section enforce these laws and regulations. Many of these offices can also provide information to help you make informed investment decisions.

• Office of the Securities Commissioner
  Address: Office of the Securities Commissioner
  109 S.W. 9th St.
  Suite 600
  Topeka, KS 66612-1215
  Phone Number: 785-296-3307
  Toll-free: 1-800-232-9580 (KS)

Utility Commissions

State Utility Commissions regulate services and rates for gas, electricity and telephones within your state. In some states, the utility commissions regulate other services such as water, transportation, and the moving of household goods. Many utility commissions handle consumer complaints. Sometimes, if a number of complaints are received about the same utility matter, they will conduct investigations.

• Corporation Commission
  Email:
  public.affairs@kcc.ks.gov
  Address: Corporation Commission
  Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection
  1500 S.W. Arrowhead Rd.
  Topeka, KS 66604-4027
  Phone Number: 785-271-3140
  Toll-free: 1-800-662-0027 (KS)
  TTY: 1-800-766-3777
  
  

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General Precautions and Recommendations- What to do with suspicious emails:

• Only open email or IM attachments that come from a trusted source and that are expected
• Use an anti-virus/anti-spam package (we recommend Norton 360 or Norton Internet Security scan all attachments prior to opening. Click here to see Norton 360 2013 on Amazon.com .
• Delete the messages without opening any attachments
• Do not click on links in emails that come from people you do not know and trust, even if it looks like it comes from a company you know.
• Keep your anti-virus software up to date
• Keep your operating system up to date with current security patches. Click here for an article that describes how to do this.

And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive.  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 

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For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.