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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

• Texas Office of the Attorney General
  Address: Texas Office of the Attorney General
  Consumer Protection Division
  PO Box 12548
  Austin, TX 78711-2548
  Toll-free: 1-800-621-0508

Regional Consumer Protection Offices

• Office of the Attorney General - Dallas Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General - Dallas Region
  Consumer Protection Division
  1412 Main St., Suite 810
  Dallas, TX 75202
  Phone Number: 214-969-5310
  Toll-free: 1-800-621-0508 (TX)
  
• Office of the Attorney General - El Paso Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General - El Paso Region
  Consumer Protection Division
  401 E. Franklin Ave., Suite 530
  El Paso, TX 79901
  Phone Number: 915-834-5800
  Toll-free: 1-800-621-0508
  
• Office of the Attorney General - Houston Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General - Houston Region
  Consumer Protection Division
  808 Travis St., Suite 1520
  Houston, TX 77002-1702
  Phone Number: 713-223-5886
  Toll-free: 1-800-621-0508
  
• Office of the Attorney General - McAllen Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General - McAllen Region
  Consumer Protection Division
  3201 N. McColl Rd., Suite B
  McAllen, TX 78501
  Phone Number: 956-682-4547
  Toll-free: 1-800-621-0508 (TX)
  
• Office of the Attorney General - San Antonio Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General - San Antonio Region
  Consumer Protection Division
  115 E. Travis St., Suite 925
  San Antonio, TX 78205
  Phone Number: 210-225-4191
  Toll-free: 1-800-621-0508 (TX)

County Consumer Protection Offices

• Dallas County District Attorneys Office
  Address: Dallas County District Attorneys Office
  Check Division/ID Fraud
  133 N. Industrial Blvd., LB 19
  Dallas, TX 75207
  Phone Number: 214-653-3672
  
• Harris County District Attorney's Office
  Address: Harris County District Attorney's Office
  Consumer Protection Section
  1201 Franklin St., Suite 600
  Houston, TX 77002-1923
  Phone Number: 713-755-5836

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.

• Department of Banking
  Email:
  consumer.complaints@dob.texas.gov
  Address: Department of Banking
  Consumer Assistance Activities
  2601 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 201
  Austin, TX 78705
  Phone Number: 512-475-1300
  Toll-free: 1-877-276-5554 (Consumer Hotline)

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.

• Department of Insurance
  Email:
  consumerprotection@tdi.texas.gov.
  Address: Department of Insurance
  Consumer Protection (111-1A)
  PO Box 149091
  Austin, TX 78714-9091
  Phone Number: 512-463-6515
  Toll-free: 1-800-252-3439
  TTY: 512 322-4238

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.

• State Securities Board
  Address: State Securities Board
  PO Box 13167
  Austin, TX 78711-3167
  Phone Number: 512-305-8300
  Toll-free: 1-888-663-0009

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.

• Public Utility Commission
  Email:
  customer@puc.texas.gov.
  Address: Public Utility Commission
  Customer Protection
  PO Box 13326
  Austin, TX 78711-3326
  Phone Number: 512-936-7120
  Toll-free: 1-888-782-8477
  TTY: 1-800-735-2988
  

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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.