Scam Recovery

How to Report a Romance Scam: Every Agency and Portal

By , Founder and Lead Investigator · Active casework since 1999 ·

Reporting a romance scam is not just about your own recovery — each report contributes to investigations that shut down the networks defrauding thousands of people. Here is every reporting channel, what each one does, and exactly what information to provide.

Quick answer

Where do I report a romance scam?

In the US: FBI IC3 (ic3.gov), FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov), and your state attorney general. In the UK: Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk) and your bank's fraud team. In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca). In Australia: Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and ReportCyber (cyber.gov.au/report). Regardless of country, also report to the platform where you met the scammer and to your bank or payment provider as soon as possible.

File with as many agencies as apply to your situation. Each report creates a record in a different system — FBI, FTC, and state records all feed different investigative pipelines. A case that does not qualify for federal action may be pursued at state level, and vice versa.

Reporting by Country

  • United States: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov (primary federal record); FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov (feeds Consumer Sentinel); your state attorney general's consumer protection division; local police department for a police report number.
  • United Kingdom: Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk (national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre); your bank's fraud team (mandatory APP fraud reimbursement applies in most cases); NCSC at ncsc.gov.uk for online fraud advice.
  • Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca; local police for a police report; your bank's fraud department.
  • Australia: Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au (ACCC); ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au/report (Australian Cyber Security Centre); your bank.
  • European Union: Your national cybercrime unit (Europol maintains a directory at europol.europa.eu); your bank under the EU Payment Services Directive fraud provisions.
  • International: INTERPOL at interpol.int/en/Contacts/Contact-INTERPOL; Global Anti-Scam Organisation at globalantiscam.org for cross-border case coordination.

Reporting by Platform

  • Dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, etc.): Use the in-app report function on the profile. Include screenshots of threatening or scam messages.
  • Facebook / Instagram: Report the profile via the three-dot menu. Select "Scam or fraud." Meta has a dedicated fraud team that reviews reports.
  • WhatsApp: Open the chat, tap the contact name, scroll to "Report." WhatsApp shares report data with law enforcement on valid legal requests.
  • Telegram: Forward the scam message to @notoscam (Telegram's official spam reporting bot).
  • Google (Gmail, Hangouts): Report phishing at google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish.

Reporting by Payment Type

  • Bank wire: Call your bank's fraud line immediately. Request a SWIFT recall. File with your national payment disputes authority.
  • Credit card: File a chargeback with your card issuer under "fraud — unauthorised transaction."
  • Cryptocurrency: Report destination wallets to the exchange used (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken all have compliance reporting portals). File with FBI IC3 — they coordinate with exchanges.
  • Gift cards: Report codes to the card issuer (Amazon, iTunes, Google Play all have fraud reporting lines). File the card details in your IC3 report.
  • PayPal / Venmo / Cash App: Dispute through the app immediately. File with the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov.

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