How to Report a Scam Website: Shut Down Fraud Before It Spreads
Last reviewed: June 1, 2026·
Written by James Carter, Consumer Rights Researcher
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Reviewed by HowToReport Editorial Desk·Independent resource — not a government site
Quick answer
Report a scam website to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, Google Safe Browsing at safebrowsing.google.com, and the domain registrar via ICANN lookup. All three steps together can block the site and trigger a law enforcement investigation.
Phishing & fake sites: Paste suspicious emails into Scamil and browse phishing red flags on ScamReporting.org before you submit a takedown report.
Quick answer: Report a scam website to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI at ic3.gov. Report phishing pages to Google Safe Browsing and to APWG at reportphishing@apwg.org, and notify the domain registrar and hosting provider. If you lost money, also contact your bank or card issuer immediately.
Fake stores, phishing pages, and fraudulent investment sites trick millions of people every year. Reporting them helps browsers block the site, gets it taken down faster, and feeds law-enforcement investigations. This guide shows every place to report — and what to do if you already paid.
Where Reporting a Scam Site Goes
The FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) is the central U.S. clearinghouse for fraud and shares reports with law enforcement nationwide. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov) handles internet crime and financial loss. Reporting phishing pages to Google Safe Browsing and APWG helps browsers warn other users and gets pages flagged within hours.
You can also report abuse to the site’s domain registrar and web host, which can suspend a fraudulent domain. Tools like ICANN Lookup or a WHOIS search reveal the registrar to contact.
If You Already Paid or Shared Information
Act fast. Contact your bank or card issuer to dispute charges and freeze accounts — card payments can often be reversed. If you sent a wire or gift cards, report it immediately; some transfers can still be stopped. If you entered passwords, change them everywhere you reused them and enable two-factor authentication. If you shared your Social Security number, place a fraud alert with the credit bureaus.
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Stop interacting with the site. Don’t enter more information, make payments, or download anything. Close the tab.
Capture evidence. Screenshot the URL, the scam content, any contact details, and confirmation pages or receipts. Save emails and messages.
Report to the FTC. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov with the website address and what happened — this is the primary U.S. report.
Report to the FBI’s IC3. If you lost money or shared sensitive data, file at ic3.gov with the transaction details.
Flag phishing pages. Submit the URL to Google Safe Browsing and email reportphishing@apwg.org so browsers warn other users.
Report to the registrar and host. Run a WHOIS lookup to find the registrar, then send their abuse contact the URL and evidence to request takedown.
Protect your money and accounts. Contact your bank or card issuer to dispute charges, change any reused passwords, and enable two-factor authentication.
Warn others. Post the scam to the BBB Scam Tracker so others searching the site name find your warning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report a scam website to the government?
File with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov — the central U.S. fraud report — and with the FBI’s IC3 at ic3.gov if you lost money or shared personal information. Both feed law-enforcement databases.
Can a scam website be taken down?
Yes. Reporting to the domain registrar and hosting provider’s abuse contact can get a fraudulent site suspended. Reporting phishing pages to Google Safe Browsing also causes browsers to block them, often within hours.
I paid a scam site — can I get my money back?
Maybe. Contact your bank or card issuer immediately to dispute the charge; card payments are often reversible. Wires and gift cards are harder to recover but should still be reported right away — speed matters.
How can I tell if a website is a scam?
Red flags include prices that are too good to be true, no working contact information, poor spelling, pressure to pay by gift card or wire, a very new domain, and no secure checkout. Check reviews and the BBB Scam Tracker before buying.
What is phishing and where do I report it?
Phishing is a fake page that imitates a real company to steal logins or payment details. Report phishing URLs to Google Safe Browsing and to APWG at reportphishing@apwg.org, and forward phishing emails to the impersonated company.
