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Take Action

Scams have always taken place (ex. via mail or phone), but the Internet offers a new global marketplace where advantage can be taken of consumers. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between reputable online sellers and criminals who use the Internet to rob people. You can protect yourself by leaning how to recognize the danger signs of fraud. For more information and tips about fraud, visit the American Bar Association website, the Federal Trade Commission web site, and Consumer.gov.

If you believe you are a victim or attempted victim of Internet fraud, you should take action in the following ways:

• Consumer.gov provides many resources for filing consumer complaints. Federal Trade Commission participates in this great resource.
• Report the fraud to your state's attorney general. The National Association of State Attorneys General has contact information for your state.
• File an online complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC). The IFCC is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center and filing a complaint with the IFCC will alert the appropriate authorities at the local, state and/or federal level.
• The National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) also has an online report form available.
• In addition, you can file a complaint with a specific federal agency depending on the type of Internet fraud:
  • Consumer Fraud (personal): The Federal Trade Commission
  • Securities Fraud (financial): The Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Commodities Fraud (product-related): The Commodities Futures Trading Commission