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: How To Report Scams and Frauds in

How to Report Scams and Frauds in United States
Government agency resources: phone numbers, links to their websites and contact email addresses


How to report scams, frauds, schemes and crimes in United States

Most scams violate federal laws and regulations, but a few are investigated by state or local authorities.  In general, if a scam uses the national services, like the US mail postal service, that would be reported to the related national agency, like the USPS, (see this page for reporting federal agencies). Scams involving businesses and scammers operating from a location within a state's borders would often be reported to a state agency. City, county, regional, and state consumer offices offer a variety of important services. They might mediate complaints, conduct investigations, prosecute offenders of consumer laws, license and regulate professional service providers, provide educational materials and advocate for consumer rights. To save time, call before sending a written complaint. Ask if the office handles the type of complaint you have and if complaint forms are provided. See the United States list of state agencies below:


United States Scam Reporting Agencies and Consumer Protection Offices

State Consumer Protection Offices

  • Maryland Office of the Attorney General
    Email:
    consumer@oag.state.md.us
    Address: Maryland Office of the Attorney General
    Consumer Protection Division
    200 Saint Paul Pl.
    Baltimore, MD 21202
    Phone Number: 410-528-8662 (Consumer Mediation) 410-576-6550 (Consumer Information) 410-528-1840 (Medical billing complaints)
    Toll-free: 1-888-743-0023 (Switchboard) 1-877-261-8807 (Health plan decision appeals)
    TTY: 410-576-6372 (MD)

Regional Consumer Protection Offices

  • Maryland Attorney General's Office - Eastern Shore
    Email:
    consumer@oag.state.md.us.
    Address: Maryland Attorney General's Office - Eastern Shore
    Consumer Protection Division
    201 Baptist St.
    Salisbury, MD 21801-4976
    Phone Number: 410-713-3620
    Toll-free: 1-888-743-0023 (Baltimore office)
    TTY: 410-576-6372
  • Maryland Attorney General's Office - Southern Maryland
    Email:
    consumer@oag.state.md.us.
    Address: Maryland Attorney General's Office - Southern Maryland
    15045 Burnt Store Rd.
    Hughesville, MD 20637
    Phone Number: 301-274-4620
    Toll-free: 1-866-366-8343
    TTY: 410-576-6372 (Baltimore office)
  • Maryland Attorney General's Office - Western Maryland
    Email:
    consumer@oag.state.md.us.
    Address: Maryland Attorney General's Office - Western Maryland
    Consumer Protection Division
    44 N. Potomac St., Suite 104
    Hagerstown, MD 21740
    Phone Number: 301-791-4780
    TTY: 410-576-6372 (Baltimore office)

County Consumer Protection Offices

  • Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs
    Email:
    consumer@howardcountymd.gov.
    Address: Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs
    6751 Columbia Gateway Dr.
    Columbia, MD 21046
    Phone Number: 410-313-6420
  • Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection
    Email:
    ConsumerProtection@montgomerycountymd.gov.
    Address: Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection
    100 Maryland Ave., Suite 330
    Rockville, MD 20850
    Phone Number: 240-777-3636 240-777-3681 (Anonymous Consumer Tip Line)
    TTY: 240-773-3556

Banking Authorities

The officials listed in this section regulate and supervise state-chartered banks. Many of them handle or refer problems and complaints about other types of financial institutions as well. Some also answer general questions about banking and consumer credit. If you are dealing with a federally chartered bank, check Federal Agencies.

  • Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
    Email:
    CFRComplaints@dllr.state.md.us
    Address: Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
    Commissioner of Financial Regulation
    500 N. Calvert St., Suite 402
    Baltimore, MD 21202
    Phone Number: 410-230-6077 (Consumer Services)
    Toll-free: 1-888-784-0136 (MD)

Insurance Regulators

Each state has its own laws and regulations for each type of insurance. The officials listed in this section enforce these laws. Many of these offices can also provide you with information to help you make informed insurance buying decisions.

  • Insurance Administration
    Address: Insurance Administration
    Consumer Division
    200 St. Paul Pl.
    Suite 2700
    Baltimore, MD 21202
    Phone Number: 410-468-2000
    Toll-free: 1-800-492-6116
    TTY: 1-800-735-2258

Securities Administrators

Each state has its own laws and regulations for securities brokers and securities - including stocks, mutual funds, commodities, real estate, etc. The officials and agencies listed in this section enforce these laws and regulations. Many of these offices can also provide information to help you make informed investment decisions.

  • Office of the Attorney General
    Email:
    securities@oag.state.md.us
    Address: Office of the Attorney General
    Securities Division
    200 Saint Paul Pl.
    Baltimore, MD 21202-2020
    Phone Number: 410-576-6360
    Toll-free: 1-888-743-0023 (MD)
    TTY: 410-576-6372

Utility Commissions

State Utility Commissions regulate services and rates for gas, electricity and telephones within your state. In some states, the utility commissions regulate other services such as water, transportation, and the moving of household goods. Many utility commissions handle consumer complaints. Sometimes, if a number of complaints are received about the same utility matter, they will conduct investigations.

  • Public Service Commission
    Address: Public Service Commission
    Six St. Paul St., 16th Floor
    Baltimore, MD 21202-6806
    Phone Number: 410-767-8028
    Toll-free: 1-800-492-0474
    TTY: 1-800-201-7165


General Precautions and Recommendations- What to do with suspicious emails:

  • Only open email or IM attachments that come from a trusted source and that are expected
  • Use an anti-virus/anti-spam package (we recommend Norton 360 or Norton Internet Security scan all attachments prior to opening. Click here to see Norton 360 2013 on Amazon.com .
  • Delete the messages without opening any attachments
  • Do not click on links in emails that come from people you do not know and trust, even if it looks like it comes from a company you know.
  • Keep your anti-virus software up to date
  • Keep your operating system up to date with current security patches. Click here for an article that describes how to do this.

And please let us know about any suspicious calls or emails you receive.  We look for patterns so that we can alert the authorities and victims to new scams, before it is too late!

 

 


 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.