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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

• Virginia Office of the Attorney General
  Address: Virginia Office of the Attorney General
  Consumer Protection Section
  900 E. Main St.
  Richmond, VA 23219
  Phone Number: 804-786-2042
  Toll-free: 1-800-552-9963 (VA)
  TTY: 1-800-828-1120

Regional Consumer Protection Offices

• Office of the Attorney General- Northern Virginia
  Address: Office of the Attorney General- Northern Virginia
  10555 Main St., Suite 350
  Fairfax, VA 22030
  Phone Number: 703-277-3540
• Office of the Attorney General- Southwest Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General- Southwest Region
  204 Abingdon Place
  Abingdon, VA 24211
  Phone Number: 276-628-2759
  
• Office of the Attorney General- Western Region
  Address: Office of the Attorney General- Western Region
  3033 Peters Creek Rd.
  Roanoke, VA 24019
  Phone Number: 540-562-3570

County Consumer Protection Offices

• Fairfax County Department of Cable Communications and Consumer Protection
  Address: Fairfax County Department of Cable Communications and Consumer Protection
  12000 Government Center Pkwy., Suite 433
  Fairfax, VA 22035
  Phone Number: 703-222-8435
  TTY: 711

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.

• State Corporation Commission
  Email:
  bfiquestions@scc.virginia.gov.
  Address: State Corporation Commission
  Bureau of Financial Institutions
  PO Box 640
  Richmond, VA 23218
  Phone Number: 804-371-9657
  Toll-free: 1-800-552-7945 (VA)
  TTY: 804-371-9206

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.

• State Corporation Commission
  Email:
  bureauofinsurance@scc.virginia.gov.
  Address: State Corporation Commission
  Bureau of Insurance
  PO Box 1157
  Richmond, VA 23218-1157
  Phone Number: 804-371-9741
  Toll-free: 1-877-310-6560
  TTY: 804-371-9206

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 Corporation Commission
  Email:
  SRF_General@scc.virginia.gov
  Address: State Corporation Commission
  Division of Securities and Retail Franchising
  PO Box 1197
  Richmond, VA 23218
  Phone Number: 804-371-9051
  Toll-free: 1-800-552-7945 (VA)
  TTY: 804-371-9206

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.

• State Corporation Commission
  Email:
  EnergyReg@scc.virginia.gov
  Address: State Corporation Commission
  Division of Energy Regulation
  PO Box 1197
  Richmond, VA 23218
  Phone Number: 804-371-9611
  Toll-free: 1-800-552-7945 (VA)
  TTY: 804-371-9206
  

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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.