Reporting Fraud

We’ve written about the types of fraud that targets seniors, so let’s now see some ways that you can report fraud. First, if you’d like to report financial fraud, you should contact the United States Attorney’s Office where you live or where the fraud was committed. In addition to contact information, you’ll also find a list of the 93 United States Attorney’s Offices and the links to their websites. (You can find that list by going to www.justice.gov/usao/find-your-united-states-attorney). They’ll also have instructions on how to report a crime. You may also contact the FBI at 202-324-3000 or online at www.tips.fbi.gov. There are also a lot of specialized agencies that focus on particular types of fraud, so let’s take a look at them now:

Bankruptcy Fraud:

Department of Justice, U.S. Trustee Program
Online: www.justice.gov/ust/eo/ust_org/office_locator.htm
Email: USTP.Bankruptcy.Fraud@usdoj.gov

Commodities, Investment and Securities Fraud:

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): Center for Complaints and Enforcement Tips

Online Form: www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml

Phone: (800) 732-0330

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Online Form: www.cftc.gov/TipOrComplaint

Phone: 866-366-2382 (Consumer Hotline) 202-418-5514 (TTY)

Cyber Crime:

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.IC3.gov) receives, develops, and refers complaints regarding the quickly expanding area of cyber-crime. For both law enforcement and regulatory agencies at federal, state, and international levels IC3 is the center clearinghouse for complaints on internet-related crimes. The IC3 complaint process gives victims of cyber-crimes a convenient, easily accessible, online reporting system to alert law enforcement of suspected criminal and civil violations.

Choose the “File a Complaint” section on the IC3 website for information and directions how to submit a complaint to IC3.

Housing Discrimination

Department of Housing and Urban Development: Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Online Form: www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/online-complaint.cfm
Phone: (800) 669-9777

Identity Theft

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Complaint Assistant
Website (Spanish): www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/consumer_homeES.htm
Phone (for complaints against companies, organizations or business practices): (877) FTC-HELP
Phone (for complaints about identity theft): (877) ID-THEFT
Email (for complaints about spam or phishing): spam@uce.gov

Social Security Fraud

US Social Security Administration (SSA) Fraud Hotline

Phone: (800) 269-0271
Online Form: www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/public_fraud_reporting/form.htm

Tax Fraud

Internal Revenue Service

For noncompliance with tax laws:
Form: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f3949a.pdf

Mail: Internal Revenue Service, Fresno, CA 93888

For abusive tax promotions and/or promoters:

Form: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/referralform_reportingabusiveschemes.pdf

Mail: Internal Revenue Service Lead Development Center Stop MS5040 24000 Avila Road Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Fax: (949) 389-5083

There are a lot more sites that we could list, but in the interest of time, you can check them out for yourself by visiting www.stopfraud.gov/report.html for more information.