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Report the specific post, video, comment, advertisement, search result, or phishing page through the service where you saw it, then file a separate U.S. consumer report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. These routes have different purposes: a platform can review content under its rules, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) uses consumer reports to identify patterns and build cases. Neither route guarantees removal, a reply, an investigation result, or recovery of money.

What to do when scam advice appears

Scam advice can look like an investment tutorial, a celebrity endorsement, a fake government warning, a “guaranteed” work-from-home method, or a message urging you to open a link immediately. Treat the individual item as evidence, not as a conversation to join. The safest sequence is:

  1. Record enough information to identify the item.
  2. Report that exact item in the service where it appeared.
  3. Submit a separate report to the FTC if you are in the United States.
  4. Use a bank, payment-service, account-recovery, or law-enforcement channel separately if money or account access is at risk.

Do not click a suspicious link, reply to the sender, send a test payment, or download a file merely to collect proof. A screenshot and the original page address are usually more useful than additional interaction, provided saving them is safe and lawful.

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Preserve useful details without increasing your risk

Reports are easier to review when the recipient can locate the exact content. Capture the following before it disappears:

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  • The service where you saw it, such as a social network, search results page, advertising surface, or video site.
  • The account, channel, advertiser, or display name, including spelling and capitalization.
  • The post, video, comment, advertisement, or result location. Copy its URL when doing so does not require visiting a dangerous destination.
  • The date and approximate time you saw it.
  • The claim that concerned you: for example, a promise of guaranteed returns, a request for a password or one-time code, or an instruction to pay in cryptocurrency.
  • A screenshot showing the surrounding context, warning labels, sponsored placement, or replies. Redact your own passwords, payment details, private messages, and identification numbers before sharing it.

Keep the original files unchanged and make a separate redacted copy for a report. Do not publish personal information about the suspected account owner or other victims. If the content is disappearing, record the visible account name and wording first; trying to force a page to reload can expose you to a redirect or tracking link.

Report the item on the service where it appeared

Choose the closest policy category

Open the reporting control attached to the individual item and select the most specific available reason, such as scam, fraud, phishing, impersonation, spam, or misleading advertisement. Explain in the free-text field what the item promises or requests and identify the link, phone number, payment method, or impersonated organization. Specific facts are more useful than a general statement that the account is “bad.”

Report every clearly fraudulent item that needs review. An account-level report can be appropriate when the profile itself is impersonating someone or publishing a coordinated stream of scams, but it does not necessarily cause the service to examine every post, video, or comment. A report on one item should identify that item precisely.

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When the platform is Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, or another social service

Use the service’s current in-app or web reporting function. Button names, category lists, and escalation forms change by country, device, and account type, so do not assume that instructions for one service apply to another. If the normal menu does not offer a suitable category, use that service’s current help center to find its fraud, impersonation, or phishing route. Save the item URL and your report confirmation, if one is shown.

The FTC recommends reporting a scam on the social site as well as to the FTC. A platform report is a policy-review request; it is not a criminal finding and does not itself create a reimbursement claim.

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Report suspicious material in Google Search

Google Search can present several different problems, and the correct route depends on what you encountered.

Ordinary search-result feedback

For a result that appears deceptive, misleading, or otherwise problematic, use the result’s More or Feedback control and describe the query, result, and claim that caused concern. Include the result URL if the form requests it. Google says it may not respond to feedback; the absence of a response does not establish that the submission was ignored.

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Suspicious redirects and phishing pages

A result that sends you through an unexpected redirect is a different problem from a page that directly asks for credentials or payment. Use Google’s webspam reporting route for suspicious redirects. Use the phishing reporting route for a page that imitates a legitimate service or attempts to collect passwords, payment details, or security codes. Do not test the page with real credentials.

Sponsored results and other Google advertisements

First confirm that the item is actually an advertisement, rather than an ordinary result. Google describes reporting an ad from supported Google services, from My Ad Center, from the Ads Transparency Center, or through its report-ad form. State what the advertiser promised, why it is deceptive or fraudulent, and where the ad sent you. Google says it reviews submissions and acts when appropriate; that wording is not a promise that a particular ad will be removed.

Policy reports versus legal requests

Google’s content and legal reporting tools serve different purposes. A policy report asks Google to assess a product or service under its rules. A legal request invokes a legal basis for removal or restriction. Google says separate reports are required for each product where the content appears, so a report about Search does not automatically cover a video, advertisement, or another Google product. Select the product and issue type accurately instead of combining unrelated complaints into one submission.

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Report scam videos, comments, channels, and ads on YouTube

YouTube’s reporting controls distinguish among the content types. Report the specific video when the video itself contains the scam advice. Report a specific comment when a comment carries the fraudulent link or solicitation. Use the channel route when the channel identity or overall profile is the issue, and use the advertising route when the material is a paid ad.

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  1. Open the menu associated with the video, comment, channel feature, or ad.
  2. Select the category closest to scam, fraud, phishing, spam, or impersonation.
  3. Add the relevant link, claim, timestamp, contact information, and other details requested by the form.
  4. Submit the report and retain the video or channel URL and any confirmation number.

YouTube says submitted reports are reviewed under its guidelines, but a report does not automatically take content down. Reporting a channel also does not mean that every video on that channel is reviewed; report individual videos when they contain separate violations.

File a separate U.S. consumer report with the FTC

Use the FTC’s official consumer reporting site, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, if you are reporting a scam as a U.S. consumer. Provide the timeline, the person or business name used, the platform or search service, contact details, URLs, payment method, amount lost or requested, and copies of messages or screenshots that do not expose unnecessary sensitive information.

The FTC says its social-media accounts do not officially collect consumer complaints. Sending a direct message or posting a reply to an FTC social account is therefore not a substitute for the ReportFraud.ftc.gov form. The FTC recommends reporting the same scam to the platform where it appeared and to the FTC because the two channels serve different functions.

The FTC explains that reports help it build cases, stop scammers, and alert others to current trends. A report can contribute to that work even when you do not receive an individual response. It is still not an emergency service, a court ruling, or a promise that your money will be returned.

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Which reporting route should you use?

Where you saw the material What to report Primary route What the route is for Scope to check
Social-media feed or profile Post, account, impersonation, or direct-message solicitation The service’s own report control Platform-policy review An item report is tied to that item; an account report may not cover every post
Google Search result Misleading result or harmful result presentation Search More/Feedback Search-quality or policy feedback Submit separate reports for separate Google products when needed
Suspicious redirect Unexpected redirect chain Google webspam reporting route Webspam review Describe the redirect and the result that led to it
Phishing page Page imitating a legitimate service or collecting credentials Google phishing reporting route Phishing review Do not enter real credentials while checking it
Google-sponsored placement Paid ad with a fraudulent or misleading claim Ad report from the service, My Ad Center, Ads Transparency Center, or Google’s report-ad form Advertising-policy review Confirm that the item is an ad before using the ad route
YouTube Video, comment, channel feature, channel, or ad The matching YouTube report control Review under YouTube guidelines Report each problematic video or comment; a channel report is not a review of every video
Any of the above in the United States Consumer fraud, attempted fraud, or financial loss ReportFraud.ftc.gov Government intelligence, trend analysis, and potential enforcement This is separate from platform moderation

What happens after you submit a report

Platform reporting normally starts a review against that service’s policies. The result may be removal, a label, reduced distribution, account action, or no visible change. Google notes that it may not respond to Search feedback. YouTube states explicitly that reporting does not automatically remove content. These statements mean you should preserve your own evidence and not treat silence as proof of either acceptance or rejection.

A government report serves a different purpose. FTC submissions can help identify recurring schemes, connect complaints, educate the public, and support enforcement work. They are not a guaranteed investigation of your individual case. Neither the platform nor the FTC report is an emergency intervention, a legal judgment that the speaker committed fraud, or a payment-reversal mechanism.

If you already sent money, contact the bank, card issuer, payment service, or cryptocurrency provider through its official support channel as soon as possible. If an account was taken over, use that service’s account-recovery process. If there is an immediate threat, extortion, or ongoing criminal activity, contact the appropriate law-enforcement or emergency service. Those actions are separate from content reporting and may have time-sensitive requirements.

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Common situations and the safest response

A “guaranteed” investment video links to a chat group

Do not join the group to verify the claim. Save the video URL, channel name, promise, and destination shown in the description. Report the video and, if appropriate, the channel. If the link appears in a sponsored placement, use the advertising route instead. U.S. consumers should also submit the facts to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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A post impersonates a bank, government agency, or public figure

Capture the profile identity and the individual post. Select impersonation or fraud in the platform report. If the post asks for credentials or one-time codes, treat the destination as a possible phishing page and use the relevant phishing route where it appeared. Never send a code to “prove” that you are the account owner.

A search result leads to a fake login page

Close the page without entering information. Record the result URL and the visible redirect behavior from a safe context. Use the Search feedback route for the result and the phishing route for the page. If the page was an ad, use the ad-report route as well; an ad report does not replace a phishing report.

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A comment contains the scam, but the video is legitimate

Report the comment itself and include the comment text and link. Do not report the entire video unless the video also violates policy. This gives reviewers a precise target and avoids mischaracterizing unrelated content.

Mistakes that weaken a report

  • Reporting only a profile when one specific post is the problem: include the post, video, or comment URL so reviewers can locate the exact material.
  • Using the wrong category: distinguish a phishing page, a paid advertisement, a suspicious redirect, and ordinary spam when the service offers separate routes.
  • Clicking repeatedly to gather evidence: stop interacting once you have enough safe identifying information.
  • Assuming a platform report covers the FTC: file the government report separately if you are in the United States.
  • Expecting an immediate takedown: reviews are discretionary and may produce no visible response.
  • Including excess personal data: redact passwords, payment numbers, identity documents, and private conversations that are not needed to explain the scam.
  • Mass-reporting without details: repeated generic submissions can obscure the strongest evidence. One accurate report for each distinct item is more useful.

How to write a clear report description

A short, factual description helps a reviewer understand the issue quickly. Include five elements:

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  1. Identity: name the account, channel, advertiser, or result.
  2. Location: give the item URL, search query, video timestamp, or comment location.
  3. Behavior: quote the claim or describe the request, such as a demand for a password, one-time code, wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency.
  4. Risk: explain whether the item impersonates an organization, redirects to a login page, promises guaranteed returns, or asks for payment.
  5. Timing: state when you saw it and whether you have already lost money or shared information.

Avoid declaring a legal conclusion you cannot establish. “The page copied the bank’s logo and requested my login after a redirect” gives a reviewer verifiable facts; “This is definitely a criminal enterprise” does not add useful evidence.

How widespread are social-media scams?

In an April 2026 release, the FTC said consumers reported $2.1 billion in losses to scams that started on social media during 2025. It also said nearly 30% of people who reported losing money to a scam said it started on social media. These are reported figures, not a census of every scam or every dollar lost; unreported incidents are not included.

The figures explain why a single report can matter even when you do not see an immediate result. A platform can use item-level reports to identify policy patterns, while the FTC can combine complaints to see recurring scripts, payment demands, impersonated brands, and distribution channels.

Geography, privacy, and changing menus

The FTC route described here is for U.S. consumer reports. Other countries have their own consumer-protection and fraud-reporting authorities, and the correct government form depends on where you live and where the transaction occurred. The platform steps can also vary by country, language, device, age, and account type. Use the current reporting controls visible in your account rather than relying on an old screenshot or instructions copied from another service.

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Before submitting, review what information the form requests and remove unrelated personal data. Keep a private copy of your evidence and any confirmation screen. Do not publicly repost the scam link to warn others if doing so could expose them; describe the warning without amplifying the destination.

A final checklist

  • Have you saved the platform, account or advertiser name, item location, date, claim, and safe copy of the URL or screenshot?
  • Did you avoid clicking, replying, paying, or entering credentials to gather proof?
  • Did you select the route matching the item: social post, search result, redirect, phishing page, ad, YouTube video, comment, or channel?
  • For a Google product, did you distinguish policy feedback from a legal request and report each product separately where necessary?
  • For YouTube, did you report the individual video or comment rather than assuming a channel report covers everything?
  • If you are in the United States, did you submit the facts separately at ReportFraud.ftc.gov?
  • If money or account access is at risk, did you contact the relevant financial institution or account-recovery channel in addition to reporting the content?

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