Where can I report a fraudulent escrow site?
You should consider reporting a fraudulent escrow site to the following locations. Many agencies can not respond to individual cases, but will combine the information you provide with other reports they receive.
- The FBI and NW3C's Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
- The Federal Trade Commission's Complaint Form.
- Your local office of the Secret Service.
- Your local police (This may be necessary to claim any losses on your tax return - consult your tax advisor).
In addition:
If the fraud site is using the United States Postal System for delivery of either money or merchandise, you can file a Mail Fraud Complaint.
If you (or the fraudulent site) are located in the UK, please contact your local UK police force within your country of residence.
If the fraud site is being recommended by an eBay user, you can:
- Report the user to eBay.
- Post on the eBay Escrow Discussion Board.
If the fraud site is targeting Yahoo! Auction customers, you should report the problem to Yahoo!
If the site uses Western Union as a payment method, call the Western Union Customer Service number at 1-800-634-1311 and tell the customer service representative that you wish to report a fraud involving a Western Union money transfer; or, send an email to customerservice@westernunion.com.
You may also want to file an abuse report with the ISP (hosting company) that is hosting the site and ask them to terminate the site.