Where do I report a phishing email or scam text?

The details

Reporting helps providers block the sender and take down the fake website for everyone else. At work, use your organization’s report button or forward the message to the security team, because a phishing campaign rarely targets just one employee.

If you lost money, also contact your bank immediately and file a report with the police or your country’s cybercrime reporting service, such as the FBI’s IC3 in the United States.

What to do

• Report inside the app (email, SMS or messaging app).
• Forward texts to 7726 where that service exists.
• File a report with your national fraud or cybercrime service.
• Delete the message once reported.

Useful next reads and tools

• Delivery Text Scams: How to Spot, Stop and Report Fake Package Texts · guide

Terms explained

Smishing

Smishing is phishing delivered by SMS or messaging apps, often posing as couriers, banks, toll agencies or government services.

Phishing

Phishing is a fraudulent message, usually email, that impersonates a trusted sender to trick people into revealing credentials, paying money or running malware.

Sources

• FTC: ReportFraud
• FTC: How to Recognize and Report Spam Text Messages
• NCSC: Phishing Scams
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)