How to Report Credit Card Fraud by a Business to a State

Reporting credit card fraud helps state governments enforce consumer protection laws.

Reporting instances of credit card fraud in your state is an effective way to help local governments enforce state and federal consumer protection laws. Information you provide to the attorney general or Office of Consumer Affairs in your state is critical for state investigations, legislative action and enforcement activities. Credit card fraud is a fairly common occurrence and in 2008 reported incidents of fraud victims increased by 22 percent to more than 9 million adults (See Reference 2).

Things You'll Need

• Credit card charge receipts or invoices
• Credit card statement

Instructions

Reporting Credit Card Fraud

1. Collect all receipts or invoices, and credit card statements containing fraudulent charges. Make note of the dates of the charges and information related to the circumstances of the fraud. Remember to include notes on the action you've already taken such as phone calls or emails to the businesses in question.

2. Contact the attorney general's office or the Office of Consumer Affairs in your state to report fraudulent activity. Many states have Web-based forms to complete and submit for further investigation. Use the website for your state's government and search for "consumer fraud."

3. Fill out the correct form for the particular business and type of complaint you wish to file. Common information required to complete a complaint form includes your personal contact information, the contact information for the business, a description of the transaction and fraudulent activity, and actions you have taken to resolve the complaint.

4. Submit the completed form at address provided on the form. Most consumer complaint divisions allow submission by mail, fax, or online submission. Include copies of all supporting documentation with your submission. Retain a copy of the complete report and the original supporting documents for your records.

Tips & Warnings

• In addition to reporting instances of credit card fraud to your state, also consider reporting the activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the national consumer protection agency at ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

• Do not include personal financial information such as account numbers or social security numbers in your report to protect your personal information. Mark out all personal financial information on all documents you submit.

References

• Commonwealth of Virginia: Attorney General of Virginia Consumer Assistance
• Creditcards.com: Credit card statistics, industry facts, debt statistics
• Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: Office of Consumer Affairs Official Consumer Complaint Form

Resources

• Federal Trade Commission: Complaint Assistant
• Consumer Action Handbook