Scam LanternScam text checker & fraud reporting tools

Report a scam

Where to report a scam, in the right order

If you paid or shared bank details, call your bank or card company first. Then report it to your country’s service: ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, Report Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland), the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Scamwatch in Australia, or your local Garda station in Ireland. Forward scam texts to 7726 in the US, UK and Canada. Pick your country and what happened for your full list.

What happened?

Tick all that apply

Scam Lantern doesn’t receive or pass on reports. Use the services in the list directly.

Your reporting list

Where to report, in order · United States

Then report it

  1. Report it to the FTCThe FTC asks you to report any phishing attempt there, even if you didn’t lose money. ReportFraud.ftc.gov

    Sources: FTC, How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams · FTC, Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams

  2. File a complaint with the FBI’s IC3The FBI asks people who get scam texts like the fake toll texts, or who lose money to impersonators, to file a complaint at ic3.gov. Include the sender’s phone number and the website in the message. ic3.gov

    Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Smishing Scam Regarding Debt for Road Toll Services (I-041224-PSA) · FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Account Takeover Fraud via Impersonation of Financial Institution Support

Pass the message on

  1. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM)It’s free, and it tells your phone company about the sender.

    Source: FTC

Block the sender

  1. Report and block the sender in the appUse the “Report junk” or “Report spam” option in your messaging or email app, or the block-and-report option in WhatsApp or the social media app.

    Sources: FTC · National Cyber Security Centre (UK)

Afterwards

  1. Watch for a second scamScamwatch says scammers often come back for more, for example by offering to get your money back. Canada’s Anti-Fraud Centre lists these “recovery” offers, which ask for more money, as a fraud of their own.

    Sources: Scamwatch (ACCC, Australia) · Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

Scam Lantern doesn’t receive or pass on reports. Use the services above directly.

Report notes builder

Fill in what you know. Your notes are saved in this browser only, so they’re still here if you close the page, until you clear them.

Date and time of the first message or call, and of any later ones.

Text, email, phone call, WhatsApp, social media, a website or a letter.

The company, agency or person they pretended to be.

Copy them exactly, one per line.

In your own words, or copy the message.

For example card details, a one-time code, a password, your date of birth, or remote access to your computer.

For each payment: date, amount, how you paid (bank transfer, card, gift card, crypto, cash) and any reference or transaction number.

Your bank, the police, a reporting service: with any reference numbers they gave you.

Evidence checklist

Your notes, ready to print

Your notes will appear here as you fill in the boxes. They stay in this browser until you clear them.

Why the order matters

Money moves fast, and reports take time to act on. That is why the official sources put your bank first. The FTC says to report a bank transfer or payment app scam to your bank or the app immediately and ask for the payment to be reversed. Scamwatch says to contact your bank or card provider immediately and ask it to stop any transactions. An Garda Síochána says to report it to your bank immediately to limit the loss. In the UK, Citizens Advice says to call the police on 101 straight away if you transferred money in the last 24 hours.

Four steps in order: first your bank, then the national reporting service, then forward the message to 7726 or the carrier, then report and block the sender in the app. 1. Your bank if money moved 2. National reporting service 3. Forward it 7726, email reports 4. The app report and block Lost nothing? Start at step 2: reports of attempts help too.
Protect your money, then report, then pass the message on, then block the sender.

Country by country

United States

Report any scam, including attempts, at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FBI asks people who get scam texts like the fake toll texts, or who lose money to impersonators, to file a complaint at ic3.gov. Forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM) and phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org. If your Social Security number or card details were exposed, IdentityTheft.gov gives you steps based on what was lost.

United Kingdom

Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025 as the place to report fraud and cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: online at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101. Citizens Advice says Report Fraud gives you a crime reference number, which can help when you tell your bank. Forward scam texts to 7726 (free) and scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk; texts pretending to be HMRC can also go to 60599. For a call about your bank, 159 connects you to most UK banks.

Canada

Report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca, whether you are a victim or a witness; you can stay anonymous. You can also call 1-888-495-8501, Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern time. If you lost money, contact your local police as soon as possible, because the police investigate. Canada Post says you can forward spam texts to 7726.

Australia

Secure your accounts first, then report to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au. For cybercrime, such as stolen money or personal information, Scamwatch links to a police report through ReportCyber on cyber.gov.au. IDCARE, on 1800 595 160, can help you make a free recovery plan. Since 1 July 2026, texts from businesses should show a registered sender name; those from unregistered senders show as “Unverified”.

Ireland

Report fraud, even an attempt, to your local Garda station; the Gardaí say if you’re unsure whether you are a victim, report it anyway. The CCPC’s helpline, +353 (0)1 402 5555, gives advice on your consumer rights, and says that if you paid by credit card you may have stronger protection than with a debit card or bank transfer. Since 3 July 2025, texts from sender names not registered with ComReg are labelled “Likely Scam”.

What to put in a report

The notes builder above collects what reporting services ask for. Citizens Advice suggests writing down who contacted you, why you’re suspicious, what information you shared, whether you paid and how. The US Postal Inspection Service asks for a screenshot showing the sender’s number and the date. Keep receipts, gift cards and statements too: the FTC says to keep gift cards and receipts to report a gift card scam.

Your notes are saved in your browser’s local storage on this device only, never sent anywhere. Print them or copy them as text to read out on the phone. “Clear notes” deletes them.

Common mistakes

  • Reporting before calling the bank. Call the bank first; the report can follow straight after.
  • Not reporting because you didn’t lose money. The FTC asks you to report any phishing attempt, and the Gardaí ask for attempts to be reported too.
  • Paying someone who offers to recover your money. Scamwatch says scammers often come back for more this way.

As Scamwatch puts it, there’s no shame in getting scammed; it can happen to any of us. If it is weighing on you, talk to someone you trust. In Australia, Scamwatch points to Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636).

Questions

Where do I report a scam text?

Forward it to 7726 in the US, UK or Canada. Then report it to your national service: ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in Canada, Scamwatch in Australia. In the UK, report it to Report Fraud if you lost money.

What replaced Action Fraud in the UK?

Report Fraud, run by the City of London Police, from 4 December 2025. Report online at reportfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland on 101.

Should I report a scam if I didn’t lose any money?

Yes. The FTC asks you to report any phishing attempt, and An Garda Síochána says attempted fraud should be reported too. Reports help agencies warn others and take scam websites down.

Does Scam Lantern pass my report on?

No. This site doesn’t receive or forward reports, and your notes never leave your browser. Use the official services in your list directly.

What details should I have ready when I report a scam?

When it happened, how they contacted you, who they claimed to be, their numbers, addresses and links, what you shared, and any payments with dates, amounts and references. The notes builder on this page collects them for you.

Sources

All checked on 5 November 2026.