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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
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:
United States Scam Reporting Agencies and Consumer Protection Offices
State Consumer Protection Offices
- Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General
Email:
ago@state.ma.us
Address: Massachusetts Office of the Attorney
General
Public Inquiry and Assistance Center
One Ashburton Pl., 18th
Floor
Boston, MA 02108-1518
Phone Number: 617-727-8400 (Consumer
Hotline)
TTY: 617-727-4765
- Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Address: Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
10 Park
Plaza, Suite 5170
Boston, MA 02116
Phone Number: 617-973-8700
Toll-free: 1-888-283-3757 (MA, Consumer Hotline)
TTY: 1-800-720-3480
Regional Consumer Protection Offices
- Office of the
Attorney General- Central Massachusetts Region
Email:
ago@state.ma.us.
Address: Office of the Attorney General- Central Massachusetts Region
Public Inquiry and Assistance Center
10 Mechanic St.
Suite 301
Worcester, MA 01608
Phone Number: 508-792-7600
TTY: 617-727-4765
- Office of the Attorney General- Southern Massachusetts Region
Email:
ago@state.ma.us.
Address: Office of the Attorney General- Southern
Massachusetts Region
Public Inquiry and Assistance Center
105 William
St., 1st Floor
New Bedford, MA 02740-6257
Phone Number: 508-990-9700
617-727-8400 (Hotline)
TTY: 617-727-4765
- Office of the Attorney
General- Western Massachusetts Region
Email:
ago@state.ma.us.
Address: Office of the Attorney General- Western Massachusetts Region
Consumer Protection Division
1350 Main St., 4th Floor
Springfield, MA
01103-1629
Phone Number: 413-784-1240 617-727-8400 (Hotline)
TTY:
617-727-4765
County Consumer Protection Offices
- Springfield
Mayors Office of Consumer Information
Email:
moci@springfieldcityhall.com.
Address: Springfield Mayors Office of
Consumer Information
City Hall, Room 315
36 Court St.
Springfield, MA 01103
Phone Number: 413-787-6437
TTY: 413-787-6154
- Norfolk District
Attorney's Office
Address: Norfolk District Attorney's Office
Consumer
Protection Division
45 Shawmut Rd.
Canton, MA 02021
Phone Number:
781-830-4800 ext. 279
TTY: 617-727-0434
- Northwestern District
Attorneys Office - Franklin County
Address: Northwestern District
Attorneys Office - Franklin County
Consumer Protection Unit
13 Conway
St.
Greenfield, MA 01301
Phone Number: 413-774-3186
- Northwestern
District Attorneys Office - Hampshire County
Address: Northwestern
District Attorneys Office - Hampshire County
Consumer Protection Division
One Gleason Plaza
Northampton, MA 01060
Phone Number: 413-586-9225
City Consumer Protection Offices
- Boston Consumer Affairs and Licensing
Email:
MOCAL@cityofboston.gov.
Address: Boston Consumer Affairs and Licensing
One City Hall Square, Room 817
Boston, MA 02201-2039
Phone Number:
617-635-3834
- Cambridge
Consumers Council
Email:
consumer@cambridgema.gov.
Address:
Cambridge Consumers Council
831 Massachusetts Ave., 1st Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone Number: 617-349-6150
TTY: 617-349-6112
- Newton-Brookline Consumer
Office
Address: Newton-Brookline Consumer Office
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Ave.
Newton Centre, MA 02459
Phone Number:
617-796-1292
TTY: 617-796-1089
- Revere Consumer Affairs Office
Address: Revere Consumer
Affairs Office
281 Broadway
Revere, MA 02151
Phone Number:
781-286-8114
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 Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Address:
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Division of Banks
Consumer Assistance Unit
1000 Washington St., 10th Floor
Boston, MA
02118-6400
Phone Number: 617-956-1500
Toll-free: 1-800-495-2265 (MA)
TTY: 617-956-1577
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.
- Division of Insurance
Address: Division of Insurance
Consumer Services Section
1000
Washington St., Suite 810
Boston, MA 02118-6200
Phone Number:
617-521-7794
Toll-free: 1-877-563-4467 (MA)
TTY: 617-521-7490
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
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Email:
securities@sec.state.ma.us.
Address: Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
Securities Division
One Ashburton Pl., 17th Floor
McCormack Building
Boston, MA 02108
Phone Number: 617-727-3548
Toll-free: 1-800-269-5428 (MA)
TTY:
617-878-3889
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.
- Department
of Public Utilities
Email:
DPUConsumer.Complaints@state.ma.us.
Address: Department of Public Utilities
Consumer Division
One South
Station, Suite 2
Boston, MA 02110
Phone Number: 617-737-2836
Toll-free: 1-877-886-5066
Contact Us
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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!
For a comprehensive list
of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.