Last verified by our editorial team: April 2026
Reporting a job scam matters more than most victims realise. Reports help authorities build cases against scam rings, often leading to takedowns and recoveries. Reports to platforms (LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Indeed) can shut down individual scammer accounts within hours. This guide is a complete reporting playbook covering every authority and platform you should contact, with direct links and exact steps.
Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov for all job scams, the FBI IC3 at ic3.gov for losses over $1,000 or cross-border crimes, your state attorney general, the platform where contact happened, and the impersonated company if applicable.
Go to reportfraud.ftc.gov. Select 'Job scam' as the category. Provide details: what happened, dates, amounts, contact information of the scammer, and screenshots. The FTC aggregates reports and shares them with 2,800+ law enforcement agencies.
If your loss exceeded $1,000 or the scam crossed state or international lines, file at ic3.gov. The FBI IC3 prioritises larger cases and coordinates with international partners. You will receive a complaint reference number.
Search 'consumer fraud [your state] attorney general' to find your state's reporting form. State AGs have authority to act on local cases and can pursue civil action against scam rings operating in their state.
WhatsApp: Open chat, tap contact name, tap 'Report contact'. Telegram: Tap profile, then 'Report'. LinkedIn: Three dots menu on profile, 'Report this profile'. Indeed: 'Report Job' link on the listing. Each platform's fraud team can suspend the account.
If a real company was impersonated (Amazon, Google, Microsoft), notify their security team. Amazon: stop-spoofing@amazon.com. Google: report at google.com/contact/impersonation. Microsoft: msrc@microsoft.com. The companies use these reports to pursue legal action.
UK: Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk. Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre.ca. Australia: Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. EU: efraud.europa.eu. India: cybercrime.gov.in. Each agency has dedicated job-scam reporting flows.
File at BBB.org/scamtracker. The BBB Scam Tracker creates a public record other consumers can search to see if a 'company' has been reported before, and the BBB notifies impersonated businesses.
Before reporting anywhere, gather every piece of evidence into a single folder: chat transcripts, email headers, recruiter LinkedIn URLs, payment confirmations, transaction hashes, scammer phone numbers, IP addresses if visible, and any documents received. Reports with organised evidence are processed faster and are more likely to lead to action. Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox) ensures the evidence cannot be lost if your device is compromised.
The FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov for US-based victims. The FTC aggregates reports across agencies and identifies scam patterns that lead to takedowns. Always file there first.
Names or aliases used, phone numbers, email addresses, websites, dates of contact, amounts requested or paid, payment methods, and screenshots of every message and document.
Yes. Reports help authorities map scammer infrastructure even when no money was lost. They contribute to building cases and protecting future victims.
Sometimes. Individual cases rarely lead to arrests, but aggregated reports lead to large takedowns. In 2024, the FTC and FBI coordinated several major job-scam ring takedowns based on victim reports.
Sometimes. The FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection runs redress programs that return money to victims when scammers' assets are seized. Recovery is not guaranteed and can take 1-3 years.
Be careful. Public posts can warn others but may also tip off scammers to delete evidence. Report to authorities first, then consider warning specific communities through trusted forums.
Yes. Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk is the UK national reporting centre. Reports are shared with the National Crime Agency for action.
File with the FTC and FBI as usual, plus report to the crypto exchange where you bought the funds. Major exchanges (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken) sometimes flag and freeze receiving wallets if reported quickly.