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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
- Washington Office of the Attorney General
Address:
Washington Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
PO Box 40100
1125 Washington St., SE
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
Phone
Number: 206-464-6684
Toll-free: 1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY:
1-800-833-6388
Regional Consumer Protection Offices
- Tacoma Office of the
Attorney General
Address: Tacoma Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
1250 Pacific Ave., Suite 105
Tacoma, WA
98402
Phone Number: 253-593-5243
Toll-free: 1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY: 1-800-833-6388
- Vancouver Office of the Attorney General
Address: Vancouver Office of the
Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
1220 Main St., Suite
510
Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone Number: 360-759-2100
Toll-free:
1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY: 1-800-833-6388
- Bellingham Office of the Attorney General
Address: Bellingham Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection
Division
103 E. Holly St., Suite 310
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone
Number: 360-676-2037
Toll-free: 1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY:
1-800-833-6388
- Seattle Office of the Attorney General
Address: Seattle Office of the
Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
800 5th Ave., Suite 2000
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone Number: 206-464-7744
Toll-free:
1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY: 1-800-833-6388
- Spokane Office of the Attorney General
Address:
Spokane Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
(Eastern Washington)
1116 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201-1194
Phone Number: 509-456-3123
Toll-free: 1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY:
1-800-833-6388
- Kennewick Office of the Attorney General
Address: Kennewick Office of the
Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
8127 W. Klamath Ct.
Kennewick, WA 99336-2607
Phone Number: 509-734-7285
Toll-free:
1-800-551-4636 (WA)
TTY: 1-800-833-6388
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 Financial Institutions
Address: Department of Financial Institutions
Division of Banks
PO Box
41200
Olympia, WA 98504-1200
Phone Number: 360-902-8704
Toll-free:
1-877-746-4334
1-888-976-4422 (in Spanish) 1-888-976-4422 (in Spanish)
TTY: 360-664-8126
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.
- Office of
the Insurance Commissioner
Address: Office of the Insurance Commissioner
Consumer Protection
PO Box 40256
Olympia, WA 98504-0256
Phone
Number: 360-725-7080
Toll-free: 1-800-562-6900 (WA)
TTY: 360-586-0241
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.
- Department of Financial
Institutions
Address: Department of Financial Institutions
Division
of Securities
PO Box 9033
Olympia, WA 98507-9033
Phone Number:
360-902-8760
Toll-free: 1-877-746-4334
TTY: 360-664-8126
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.
- Utilities and
Transportation Commission
Email:
consumer@utc.wa.gov.
Address:
Utilities and Transportation Commission
Consumer Protection
PO Box
47250
Olympia, WA 98504
Phone Number: 360-664-1160
Toll-free:
1-888-333-9882
TTY: 1-800-416-5289
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.