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FalseAds

Where to report a fake shop or a scam ad

Report to the official channel of your country: this site takes no reports. Each channel below is named on an official page we opened on 11 October 2026, and what we could not confirm says “not confirmed”.

Official channels, by country

Report to the authorities of the country where you live. Each channel below is what an official page we opened on Oct 11, 2026 says, with the page linked. Pages change, so follow the link before you act.

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

European Union and Europe

  • Your local or national police

    Europol’s guide says: “Report it to your local or national police.” If you paid by credit or debit card, report it to your bank too: you may have some rights to get your money back.

    Source: Europol, updated Feb 2025, opened on .

Not confirmed: We did not open an official page that lists one online form for the whole European Union, so none is given.

New Zealand

  • Netsafe: help@netsafe.org.nz, phone 0508 Netsafe, netsafe.org.nz

    For online harm and scam queries about content hosts, such as social media accounts.

    Source: Netsafe and DNC, Feb 2025, opened on .

  • Domain Name Commission: info@dnc.org.nz, phone 0800 101 151 or 04 495 2119 (business hours)

    For .nz domain name queries involving fake web shops.

    Source: Netsafe and DNC, Feb 2025, opened on .

Australia

Not confirmed: Not confirmed. The Scamwatch site refused our automated request (HTTP 403), so we did not read it and give no channel from it.

Switzerland

Not confirmed: Not confirmed. The Swiss federal report we opened on spotting scam websites does not give a reporting channel.

Any other country

Not confirmed: Not confirmed. Look for the consumer protection agency or the police cybercrime unit of your country on its own official site.

Do I have to have lost money to report?

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center says to file a report even if you are unsure whether your complaint qualifies, and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says that whether you are a victim or a witness, you can report online. Reports help agencies see patterns, even when they cannot answer each one.

What should I have ready when I report?

Keep what you have. The FTC advises keeping receipts, order confirmations and messages from the seller, and Europol advises saving the terms, the payment acknowledgement and the e-mails from the shop. Write down the address of the shop as you saw it, the date, how you paid and how much.

Will someone recover my money if I pay them?

The IC3 states that it does not work with any non-law-enforcement entity, such as law firms or crypto services, to recover lost funds, and that it will never contact you directly for information or money. If someone offers to get your money back for a fee, that does not come from the agencies named here.

Can I report the ad to the platform that showed it?

Not confirmed. We did not open an official page that gives the steps for reporting an ad to the platform that displayed it, so this site does not describe them. The platform’s own help pages are the place to look.

Questions about where to report

Where do I report in the United States?

The FTC’s pages we opened name ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the FBI’s IC3 takes complaints at ic3.gov. If you paid, the FTC and the FBI both also say to contact the company you paid through.

Where do I report in the United Kingdom?

The NCSC says that if you have lost money you should tell your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud, or contact Police Scotland if you are in Scotland, and that you can report a suspicious online store to the NCSC.

Where do I report in Canada?

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists reporting online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or by phone at 1-888-495-8501, and says to report to your local police and get a file number.

Where do I report in the European Union?

Europol’s guide says to report to your local or national police. We did not open an official page that lists a single EU-wide online form, so none is given here.

What about Australia, Switzerland and other countries?

Not confirmed. The Australian Scamwatch site refused our automated request, and the Swiss federal report we read does not give a reporting channel. Search for the consumer protection agency or the police cybercrime unit of your country.

Does reporting here remove the shop?

No. Reporting sends the facts to the authorities. Whether a site is taken down or an investigation starts is up to them, and they say they cannot answer every report.

More on this site

Check an address, report, and what to do next.

Sources and limits

  • What To Do if You Were Scammed

    Who to contact and what to say, by how you paid: credit card, debit card, wire transfer, gift card, payment app or bank transfer, cryptocurrency, cash; report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

    Federal Trade Commission (US consumer protection agency), Consumer Advice. Page dated: June 2026. Opened on .

  • Online Shopping

    Never pay sellers who insist on gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or cryptocurrency; a credit card protects you best; https does not mean legitimate; the site must say whether you can return the item; search the store with “complaint” or “scam”; star ratings can be fake; report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

    Federal Trade Commission (US consumer protection agency), Consumer Advice. Page dated: May 2023. Opened on .

  • File a complaint with the IC3

    The IC3 is the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime, run by the FBI; it takes complaints even when you are unsure the report qualifies, and cannot answer each one.

    FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Page dated: no date shown. Opened on .

  • Online shopping fraud

    If you have lost money, tell your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud, or contact Police Scotland if you are in Scotland; a suspicious online store can be reported to the NCSC.

    National Cyber Security Centre (UK government). Page dated: no date shown. Opened on .

  • What to do if you’re a victim of fraud

    Report to the financial institution that transferred the money; report to local police and get a file number; report online at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or by phone at 1-888-495-8501 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern, closed on holidays).

    Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Page dated: modified 16 January 2026. Opened on .

  • E-Commerce: Tips And Advice To Avoid Becoming A Fraud Victim

    Read the terms and conditions; check that the merchant’s address details are on the page and proceed with caution if there are none; pay by card because card customer protection can help you get a refund; if you are a victim, report to your local or national police and to your bank.

    Europol (European Union law enforcement agency), prevention guide. Page dated: 21 June 2017, updated 10 February 2025. Opened on .

  • #ShopSafeNZ fact sheet

    Six tips: does the address match the goods; images and language; whether several payment options are shown but only one can be chosen; research the seller and search its name with “scam” or “review”; contact, delivery and returns details; the WHOIS record (recent registration dates are a tell-tale sign, and old addresses of once-popular sites can be re-registered by scammers). Contact details for .nz fake shops and for Netsafe.

    Netsafe (New Zealand online safety organisation) with the Domain Name Commission (which oversees .nz names). Page dated: PDF created 18 February 2025. Opened on .

Not confirmed: Channels for Australia, Switzerland and every country not listed are not confirmed: the pages we tried either refused our request or do not give one.

This is information, not advice, and it is not a verdict on any shop. Guidance changes: each source shows the date it carries and the day we opened it. If you have lost money, go to the where to report and what to do if you paid pages.