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If you suspect an investment scam, stop sending money and stop communicating with the promoter. Then report suspected securities-law violations through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Tips, Complaints & Referrals (TCR) portal. The SEC accepts tips from both whistleblowers and other members of the public. Depending on what happened, you may also need the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), or a state securities regulator. Use the SEC Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) complaint route when the immediate problem is an investment account, broker, adviser, or other financial professional.

Reporting gives agencies information for possible action; it does not promise an investigation, prosecution, compensation, or recovery of your money. Use only official agency websites and phone numbers, preserve your records, and keep every confirmation or file number.

What to do immediately after you suspect investment fraud

  1. Stop further payments. Do not send a “tax,” “withdrawal,” “verification,” “release,” or “recovery” fee. Fraudsters often claim that one final payment will unlock your account.
  2. End direct contact with the suspected fraudster. Do not argue, threaten, warn, or negotiate. A response confirms that your phone number or email account is active and can invite another demand.
  3. Protect your accounts. Contact your bank, card issuer, payment service, or cryptocurrency platform through a number or website you already know is genuine. Ask what payment-reversal, recall, freeze, or account-security options are available. Change reused passwords and enable multifactor authentication.
  4. Preserve evidence before deleting anything. Save messages, emails, websites, social-media profiles, contracts, account statements, transaction IDs, wire instructions, wallet addresses, telephone numbers, names, dates, and the exact promises made. Export electronic records where possible and retain the original files.
  5. Report through the agencies that match the conduct. The SEC is the primary route for suspected securities-law violations. Other agencies cover consumer fraud, commodities and derivatives, online crime, identity theft, and state-level licensing or enforcement.

Scammers may impersonate regulators, police officers, banks, attorneys, or “asset-recovery” companies. Never use a link, callback number, or contact supplied by the person who solicited your money. Type the agency’s address yourself or use a bookmark created from its official site.

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Choose the right U.S. reporting route

No single agency handles every investment scam. Select the route based on the product, the way the fraud occurred, and whether you need an enforcement tip, an account-service complaint, or a criminal report. You can file with more than one appropriate agency, but a second report does not guarantee that money will be recovered.

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Suspected activity or immediate need Best starting route What the agency route is for What to retain
Fraudulent or unregistered securities offering, Ponzi scheme, theft or misappropriation of funds or securities, insider trading, market manipulation, or misleading company statements SEC TCR portal Enforcement information about possible federal securities-law violations; accepts whistleblower and non-whistleblower submissions Online confirmation and submission number
Problem with an investment account, investment, broker, brokerage firm, investment adviser, or another financial professional SEC Office of Investor Education and Assistance (OIEA) Investor assistance and complaint handling. With your consent, OIEA may forward a complaint to a firm Complaint file number and copies of all documents sent
General investment scam or consumer fraud FTC ReportFraud.ftc.gov Consumer-fraud reporting and intelligence Report confirmation and transaction records
Personal information misused in connection with the scam IdentityTheft.gov Identity-theft reporting and recovery guidance Identity-theft report and any recovery-plan records
Precious-metals, commodities, futures, options, swaps, or other derivatives fraud CFTC complaint or whistleblower instructions Reports involving the commodities and derivatives markets. Complaint and whistleblower channels have different purposes Submission confirmation and any reference number
Online business or investment fraud, including activity conducted through websites, email, or messaging platforms FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Criminal-intelligence reporting for internet-enabled crime IC3 complaint number, if issued, and copies of uploaded material
Suspicious securities offer or financial professional tied to a particular state That state’s securities regulator; use the NASAA regulator directory State licensing, registration, investigation, and enforcement State complaint confirmation and investigator contact details
Immediate local criminal issue, identity risk, or a scam involving several types of misconduct State attorney general, local police or sheriff, and the relevant federal route Local or state law-enforcement reporting in addition to federal consumer or cybercrime reports Police or agency incident number

How to report suspected securities fraud to the SEC

Use the SEC TCR portal for an enforcement tip

The SEC’s TCR system is the appropriate first route when the facts suggest a violation of federal securities laws. Examples include an investment that was never registered when registration was required, a Ponzi or affinity scheme, diversion or theft of investor funds or securities, insider trading, market manipulation, and materially misleading statements by a company. You do not need to be a formal whistleblower to submit information.

  1. Open the SEC’s Tips, Complaints & Referrals portal from the official SEC website.
  2. Choose the submission path that best describes the suspected conduct and identify whether you are submitting as a whistleblower or another member of the public.
  3. Describe the events in chronological order. State who solicited the investment, what was promised, when and how money or securities moved, and why you believe the conduct may violate securities law.
  4. Identify every person, company, website, account, wallet, telephone number, and intermediary you can. Distinguish facts you personally observed from information you received from someone else.
  5. Upload copies of supporting records when the form permits them. Do not mail or upload irreplaceable originals.
  6. Submit the form and save the confirmation and submission number. Use that number in any later communication with the SEC.

Be precise rather than speculative. A clear timeline, names, amounts, payment methods, and documentary trail are more useful than a long narrative that mixes confirmed facts with assumptions. If you later discover additional evidence, refer to your original submission number when contacting the SEC.

When the SEC’s Retail Fraud Working Group is relevant

For a tip intended for the SEC Retail Fraud Working Group, the SEC asks submitters to include the exact wording “To the Attention of the Retail Fraud Working Group.” Put that sentence at the beginning of the narrative or in the field where the portal asks for the subject or attention line. The SEC’s current Retail Fraud Working Group page is dated September 18, 2026; verify the page’s instructions before submitting because agency forms can change.

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Use OIEA for an account or professional complaint

The SEC Office of Investor Education and Assistance handles investor complaints involving an investment account, investment, broker, brokerage firm, investment adviser, or another financial professional. This route is oriented toward investor assistance rather than serving as the primary enforcement-tip channel.

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  1. Open the SEC’s OIEA investor assistance resources and select the current complaint form.
  2. Identify the firm or professional, account number (if applicable), dates, securities or services involved, and the specific problem.
  3. Explain the resolution you are seeking, such as an explanation, correction of an account record, or review of an unauthorized transaction. Do not assume the SEC can order the outcome you request.
  4. Attach copies of statements, confirmations, correspondence, agreements, and payment records. Keep the originals.
  5. Submit the complaint and preserve the assigned file number for future correspondence.

OIEA may forward your complaint to a firm if you consent. The SEC says it cannot act as your attorney or personal representative. A matter referred for a confidential enforcement investigation may not receive status updates, even when the agency has received your complaint.

When to report to the FTC

Use ReportFraud.ftc.gov for a general investment scam or broader consumer fraud. This is especially useful when the promoter’s conduct is deceptive but the product does not clearly fall within the SEC’s securities jurisdiction, or when the scam combines investment claims with impersonation, advance-fee demands, or other consumer tactics.

If the fraudster obtained or misused your Social Security number, account credentials, identity documents, or other personal information, also use IdentityTheft.gov. Follow the site’s recovery steps, which can include contacting affected institutions, securing accounts, and placing appropriate alerts. An FTC report does not replace notifying your bank or other provider about an urgent payment or account compromise.

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When the CFTC is the appropriate regulator

Contact the Commodity Futures Trading Commission when the suspected fraud involves precious metals, commodities, futures, options, swaps, or another derivatives product. The CFTC provides both complaint and whistleblower pathways, and they serve different purposes. Read the agency’s current instructions before choosing one.

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Describe the contract or product exactly as it was presented, the platform or dealer used, the margin or deposit requested, and every transaction date and amount. Include screenshots of price displays, account dashboards, withdrawal restrictions, and messages promising guaranteed returns. If the scheme also involved a securities offering or internet-enabled crime, a parallel SEC TCR or IC3 report may be appropriate.

When to file an FBI IC3 report

Submit online business or investment fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center when websites, email, social media, messaging applications, remote-access software, or other internet services were central to the crime. IC3 is a criminal-intelligence reporting channel; it is not a dispute-resolution service and cannot promise that your funds will be returned.

Include the domains and URLs used, usernames, email headers when available, telephone numbers, cryptocurrency wallet addresses, transaction hashes, bank instructions, payment processors, and the dates and time zones of communications. Preserve the original files and export chat histories before an account is closed or content disappears.

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When to contact a state securities regulator

State securities regulators can address suspicious securities offers and financial professionals operating in or targeting a particular state. Find the relevant office through the North American Securities Administrators Association directory. The relevant state may be where you live, where the adviser or broker operates, where the offering was made, or where the business is registered; explain those connections in your complaint.

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State forms commonly ask for the professional’s name, firm, license or registration information, offering documents, amounts invested, and the communications that led you to send money. Submit copies, not originals, and save the state’s confirmation or investigator reference. A state filing can supplement an SEC report; it does not convert a state complaint into a federal enforcement case.

What evidence to gather before submitting a report

Agencies can evaluate a report more efficiently when the facts are organized and verifiable. Create a dated folder and a one-page timeline before completing any form.

  • People and entities: legal and trading names, aliases, websites, social-media handles, email addresses, phone numbers, claimed licenses, and any affiliated companies.
  • Solicitation: advertisements, webinars, investment decks, contracts, risk disclosures, promised returns, urgency statements, and claims of regulatory approval or celebrity endorsement.
  • Money trail: each payment date, amount, currency, bank or card used, wire details, check number, payment app, cryptocurrency wallet, transaction hash, and recipient account.
  • Account records: statements, trade confirmations, login alerts, withdrawal requests, rejected withdrawals, fee demands, and screenshots showing balances or profits.
  • Communications: emails with full headers, text messages, chat exports, call logs, voicemails, and notes identifying who said what and when.
  • Identity and security impact: documents shared, passwords exposed, remote-access software installed, and accounts that may have been compromised.

Label files with dates and preserve metadata. If an agency requests documents, send copies unless it specifically requires an original. Redact unrelated personal information when practical, while leaving enough detail for the agency to verify the transaction.

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How to write a clear complaint or tip

  1. Start with a one-sentence summary: identify the product, the promoter, the approximate loss, and the conduct you believe was fraudulent.
  2. Build a timeline: list the first contact, each deposit or trade, every withdrawal attempt, and the point at which you recognized the warning signs.
  3. Separate facts from conclusions: quote the promise or statement, then explain what happened instead. Avoid labeling conduct as a crime unless you are describing your suspicion.
  4. Quantify the loss: give the total sent, amounts recovered, fees charged, and any additional requested payment.
  5. Identify other victims or witnesses: provide contact information only when you have permission or when the form specifically requests it.
  6. State urgent risks: note ongoing solicitations, threatened account closures, exposed identity documents, or imminent attempts to move more money.

Do not exaggerate, forward unverified rumors, or submit someone else’s confidential records without considering privacy obligations. If you are unsure which agency has jurisdiction, explain the uncertainty and file with the route that best matches the product; the receiving agency can use or redirect the information.

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What happens after you report

Online submissions normally produce a confirmation, submission number, or complaint reference. Save it with your timeline. If you contact an agency again, quote the reference rather than opening duplicate reports that contain different facts.

An agency may use your information with other complaints, refer it to another regulator or law-enforcement body, contact the firm when the process allows, or keep it confidential for enforcement purposes. The SEC warns that OIEA cannot act as your attorney or personal representative, and a complaint referred for a confidential enforcement investigation may not receive status updates. The fact that you filed does not establish that the allegations are proven.

Reports do not guarantee an investigation, prosecution, restitution, or return of funds. Be skeptical of anyone who promises recovery because you filed with a regulator, asks for an additional fee to “release” recovered assets, or claims to represent an agency without verifiable credentials. Continue working with your bank, payment provider, and—when appropriate—qualified legal counsel on immediate recovery or account-protection steps.

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Verifying official information and avoiding follow-up scams

Agency portals, forms, and instructions can change. Before submitting, confirm the address in your browser and check the current page on the agency’s official domain. The SEC’s investor-education site, Investor.gov, says more than 8 million Americans visit it each year; the page does not state a measurement year, so that figure is context about site use rather than a dated fraud statistic.

  • Check that an SEC address ends in sec.gov, an FTC reporting address is reportfraud.ftc.gov or identitytheft.gov, the FBI reporting site is ic3.gov, and state-regulator links come from a government or NASAA directory.
  • Do not pay a regulator, investigator, or recovery service to accept a complaint. Legitimate agencies do not require a fee to submit a fraud report.
  • Do not provide passwords, one-time authentication codes, or remote access to a person who contacts you claiming to follow up on your report.
  • Keep a separate log of every agency submission, date, confirmation number, contact name, and document supplied.

SEC or another agency: a quick decision rule

Choose the SEC TCR portal when the central issue is a possible securities-law violation. Choose OIEA when you need help documenting a problem with an account, broker, adviser, or financial firm. Add the FTC for a general consumer scam, IdentityTheft.gov for misuse of personal information, the CFTC for commodities or derivatives, IC3 for internet-enabled crime, and a state securities regulator for state-level offers or professionals. Make the reports consistent, preserve the reference numbers, and do not send additional money while an agency reviews the information.

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