How to Report a Phishing Scam to the FTC

If you have discovered that you were the target of a phishing scam, you will want to report the scam to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to try to help catch and punish the scammer.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A phishing email
• An email account
• A computer with Internet access

1. Open an IE window through the start menu, the quick start menu or by double clicking on the Internet Explorer icon.
2. Sign into your email account and open the phishing email.
3. Click the “Forward” button.
4. Type the FTC scam email address into the “to:” box. The email is: [e-mail].
5. Click “Send” without changing anything else, including the subject box or the message content of the email. They will understand what it is when you send it to them.
6. Delete the offending email. You are done with it.

Tips & Warnings

• Always type in the address of the site you want to visit, e.g. paypal.com, versus clicking a link.
• Leave the header intact for the FTC. The header is the information that appears in the message box when you forward an email.
• Never click the links in a phishing email.
• Never give out personal information over your email.