How to Report an Online Shopping Scam or Impersonation Fraud to the FTC

Where do you report an online shopping scam to the FTC?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accepts consumer reports about suspected scams, fraud, and dishonest business practices through its official ReportFraud.ftc.gov reporting portal.

Use this service if a fake online store took your money, an online seller misrepresented a transaction, or someone impersonated a trusted business or government agency to obtain money or personal information.

Reporting is free. You can report an attempted scam even if you recognized it before sending money.

After you submit the report, the FTC provides a report number and advice about protecting yourself. The report helps the agency and other law enforcement authorities identify fraudulent activity, but it does not automatically open an individual refund case.

Which online shopping and impersonation problems can you report?

The FTC's reporting service covers suspected scams and deceptive business practices. Common situations include the following.

A missed delivery date alone does not establish that a seller committed fraud. Look at the seller's promises, communications, refund practices, and other circumstances. If the seller appears dishonest, you can report the facts without making an unsupported accusation that a crime has been proven.

The FTC explains consumer shopping protections and seller obligations in its Online Shopping consumer guidance.

What information should you collect before reporting?

A useful fraud report identifies the suspected seller or impersonator, explains what happened, and records any payment or personal information involved.

For a fraudulent online purchase

• The store or seller's name and exact website address.
• The product description, advertised price, and any shipping promises.
• The order date, order number, and amount charged.
• Payment confirmation or relevant transaction records.
• Order confirmation emails and shipping or tracking messages.
• The seller's advertised return and refund policy.
• Messages exchanged with the seller or marketplace.
• Evidence that the item was not delivered or materially differed from the offer.

The FTC recommends keeping records of the company, the purchase, payment, shipping promises, and communications. Screenshots can help preserve information from a fraudulent website that may later disappear.

Keep sensitive payment information secure. You generally do not need to disclose your complete card number or account password in a narrative describing the incident.

For a business or government impersonation scam

• The business, agency, or individual the scammer claimed to represent.
• The email address, phone number, social media profile, or website used.
• The message, advertisement, or payment demand you received.
• Any payment instructions or requests for account credentials.
• The date of contact and the amount requested or paid.
• Whether you disclosed personal information or gave access to an account or device.

Impersonators may use genuine company names, copied logos, and convincing websites. A displayed company name or caller ID is not proof that the contact was legitimate.

Check suspicious communications using independently verified contact information for the genuine organization. The FTC's impersonation scam guidance explains common warning signs.

How do you file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov?

The FTC provides an online questionnaire that directs your report according to the type of problem. You do not need to prepare a formal legal complaint.

1. Open the official website. Enter ReportFraud.ftc.gov directly and select Report Now.
2. Identify the problem. Choose the option that best describes your experience. For an impersonation, identify whether the scammer pretended to represent a trusted business, government agency, or another person or organization.
3. Answer the payment questions. State whether you sent money. If you did, provide the amount, payment method, and relevant transaction date.
4. Identify the suspected scammer. Provide the company or person's name and available contact or website information.
5. Explain what happened. Describe the original offer or message, what the scammer requested, what you did, and why you believe the activity was deceptive.
6. Provide optional contact information. The FTC allows you to decide how much personal contact information to include.
7. Submit and save the confirmation. Record the report number and read the guidance provided after submission.

The FTC demonstrates the questionnaire in its official How To Report Fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov walkthrough.

How should you describe the scam?

Use a short, factual timeline. Identify the seller or impersonator, the promise made, the transaction or request, and the outcome.

For example, suppose a consumer orders a product from a website using a brand's name. The site accepts payment but provides no valid delivery information. The genuine brand later confirms that the website is not its store.

The consumer can explain the order date, amount paid, website address, attempts to contact the seller, and the brand's response. The report should distinguish what the consumer personally observed from what another party told them.

Do not invent missing details. If you do not know the scammer's real identity or location, report the information you actually have.

Does filing an FTC scam report cost money or have a deadline?

The FTC fraud reporting service is free. No fee is required to submit a report through the official portal.

The FTC does not publish a universal filing deadline for reporting these consumer scams through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Report suspected fraud promptly while transaction records and communications are available.

However, payment dispute deadlines are separate from FTC reporting. Waiting to file an FTC report can reduce your opportunity to pursue certain remedies through your card issuer or payment provider.

For covered credit card billing errors, the FTC advises contacting the issuer immediately and sending a written billing-error notice that reaches the issuer within 60 days after it mailed the first statement containing the error. Different payment methods and disputes may have different rules.

Filing an FTC report does not pause a card dispute deadline, extend a marketplace's refund window, or guarantee that a payment will be reversed.

Can an FTC report get your money back?

No refund is guaranteed by filing an FTC report. The FTC uses reports to detect patterns, investigate deceptive conduct, and bring enforcement cases. It does not individually resolve every consumer report.

If you paid a scammer, take recovery action immediately through the payment method used. The FTC provides payment-specific instructions in What To Do if You Were Scammed.

Recovery depends on the circumstances, applicable protections, payment provider rules, and whether the funds can still be recovered. A successful FTC report submission is not proof that a bank must refund a transaction.

What if the seller never delivered your order?

If you purchased from an online marketplace, first use the marketplace's official order support and buyer protection procedures. Keep records of your contact attempts and observe any marketplace dispute deadlines.

If the seller refuses to resolve the problem, contact your payment provider. For a qualifying credit card purchase that was never delivered, a billing dispute may be available under federal consumer protections.

The FTC recommends saving receipts and confirmation emails, which can help establish what you purchased and what the seller promised.

You can report suspected dishonest business practices to the FTC separately from the payment dispute.

What if the scammer obtained your personal information?

An online shopping scam may involve more than a lost payment. Fraudulent checkout pages and impersonation messages can also collect account credentials, financial information, or personal identifiers.

If you shared an account password

Change the compromised password immediately if you can still access the account. Change it anywhere else you reused it, and enable two-factor authentication.

If the scammer has taken control of the account, follow the service provider's official account recovery process. Do not rely on recovery links sent by the suspected scammer.

If your identity information was stolen or misused

If someone used your Social Security number or other identifying information to impersonate you, the FTC directs consumers to its dedicated identity theft recovery service.

See how to report identity theft and get a recovery plan. This is distinct from submitting a general shopping fraud report.

If you are unsure whether stolen personal information has been used, the FTC also provides protective guidance through IdentityTheft.gov.

Should you report the scam anywhere else?

An FTC report can be useful even when you also report the incident to a business, marketplace, or another authority. The correct additional channel depends on what happened.

• Online marketplace: report the seller through the marketplace's official complaint or buyer protection system.
• Impersonated business: notify the genuine company using contact details from its verified website or account.
• Payment provider: dispute or report the transaction directly. An FTC report does not substitute for this action.
• State attorney general: report suspected dishonest business practices through your state's consumer protection channels.
• Identity theft: use the FTC's dedicated identity theft reporting and recovery process when applicable.

The FTC's online marketplace guidance recommends contacting the seller and marketplace, preserving communications, and reporting suspected dishonest business practices.

If someone used your identity to create accounts or make transactions, address that harm separately. A general fraud report alone does not replace account recovery, identity theft reporting, or financial institution notifications.

Will the FTC investigate or contact you after reporting?

After submitting a report through ReportFraud.ftc.gov, you receive a report number and recommended next steps. If you provided an email address, the FTC can send the report information and guidance to that address.

FTC reports enter the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure database used by authorized local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Investigators and analysts use reports to identify patterns, investigate suspected wrongdoing, build enforcement cases, and warn the public about emerging scams.

The FTC does not promise an individual investigation or response to every report. It also does not publish a standard timeframe for resolving an individual consumer fraud report.

The FTC explains how reports are used in its consumer guidance on what happens after reporting a scam.

Beware of scammers promising to recover your money

People who have already lost money may be targeted again by individuals claiming they can recover the funds for an advance fee.

The FTC warns that legitimate government agencies do not demand payment or financial account details to arrange a refund. Do not pay a supposed recovery agent who contacts you unexpectedly and guarantees the return of your money.

Read the FTC's refund and recovery scam guidance before responding to any recovery offer.

What mistakes should you avoid when filing a fraud report?

• Waiting for the FTC before contacting your bank: financial recovery should begin immediately and separately.
• Deleting messages or transaction records: preserve relevant evidence before blocking the scammer or removing messages.
• Using an unofficial reporting website: enter ReportFraud.ftc.gov directly rather than following an unexpected message or advertisement.
• Assuming a report guarantees a refund: the FTC does not resolve individual payment disputes through its general fraud reporting service.
• Guessing the scammer's identity: distinguish confirmed details from suspicions.
• Ignoring exposed account credentials: change compromised passwords and take identity-protection steps.
• Paying a recovery service: do not pay an unsolicited person who promises to retrieve lost money.

Keep your FTC report number, copies of the original evidence, and records of any bank or marketplace dispute. These documents help you maintain a clear record of the incident and actions taken.

Official FTC reporting and recovery resources

The Federal Trade Commission provides the national consumer fraud reporting portal, practical guidance about online purchases, and instructions for responding to scams involving money or personal information.

For a suspected online shopping scam or impersonation attempt, start with the FTC's ReportFraud service. If money was lost, use the FTC's payment-specific recovery guidance and contact the relevant payment provider without delay.

Reporting suspected fraud helps authorities recognize repeated schemes and warn other consumers. It is one part of responding to a scam, not a replacement for immediate financial and account protection.