Last Updated on by SCARS Editorial Team
What Is The FBI’s IC3.gov?
The FBI’s IC3 Accepts Online Internet Crime Complaints From Either The Actual Victim Or From A Third Party To The Complainant
They say that they can best process a complaint if they receive accurate and complete information from the person making the report. They request people provide the following information when filing a complaint:
- Victim’s name, address, telephone, and email
- Financial transaction information (e.g., account information, transaction date and amount, who received the money)
- Subject’s name, address, telephone, email, website, and IP addressGeolocation Geolocation is the utilization of a device IP address, along with other device signals, to determine geographical location. An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label such as 192.0.2.1 that is connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two main functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing. An IP Address can be used to locate a physical computer's location.
- Specific details on how you were victimized
- Email header(s)
- Any other relevant information you believe is necessary to support your complaint
Sadly, most FBI IC3.gov reports are not investigated, but they are kept for later use if there is a need. However, reporting every crime is important.
Additionally, the FBI does not follow up with victims who report these crimes unless there is an active investigation. This means that most reports will not be responded to – the person reporting them will not hear back from the FBI.
In SCARS’s view, the failure of the FBI to not respond after a report is filed is a violation of the Victims’ lawful rights under the laws of the United States. In mid-2021 SCARS filed formal complaints with the United States Department of Justice and the FBI as well identifying this violation of victims’ rights. SCARS has received the agency’s acknowledgment of the formal complaint and an investigation is in process. Learn more here
The Primary Reporting Agencies For The U.S.
- ReportFraud.FTC.gov
- The FBI’s IC3.gov
- SCARS Anyscam.com (worldwide)
But What Is IC3.gov?
IC3.gov is the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (a United States government agency) collection point for online crime reports.
It collects information and then stores it in a closed database accessible to the FBI. But there is a problem, namely that the FBI does not really share information with other agencies unless they ask for it. Unfortunately, others do not know it exists so cannot ask for it.
Also, it is NOT the only place reports must be made. The first place to report these crimes if you lost money is your Local Police so you can include the police report number in your IC3 complaint. Then, also report the crime on www.Anyscam.com so it goes global over the SCARS|CDN CybercrimeCybercrime Cybercrime is a crime related to technology, computers, and the Internet. Typical cybercrime are performed by a computer against a computer, or by a hacker using software to attack computers or networks. Data Network -the SCARS Anti-Scam Data Reporting Network that goes out around the world.
IC3 It is not an investigative service, but it is a unit of the FBI that is an investigative agency. Only if enough information is collected can the FBI itself step in and act. And even then, they are limited by international law and treaties.
However, Most Victims BlameBlame Blame or Blaming is the act of censuring, holding responsible, making negative statements about an individual or group that their action or actions are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for doing something wrong, their action is blameworthy. By contrast, when someone is morally responsible for doing something right, we may say that his or her action is praiseworthy. Blame imparts responsibility for an action or act, as in that they made a choice to perform that act or action. The FBI For Not Doing Anything, Yet They Do Exactly What They Say They Will Do
As we have presented over and over, they do quite a lot. They just don’t do what many victims want them to do. Which is rush right out and arrest scammers. Part of the reason for that is the quality of the information provided to them.
Their job is to collect the information so the U.S. Government can make accurate threat assessments and prioritize actions. But still to this day, with all the recent successes at arresting scammers in 2018, most victims still do not report. It is estimated that only 1-3% is reported by victims, the others simply do not bother. So that the United States Government assessments are significantly distorted and underestimated by at least 98%.
A Lot Is Being Done Constantly
- In 2018 more than 20,000 scammers and mules have been arrested.
- In 2019 more than 111,000 scammers were arrested
- In 2020 more than 80,000 scammers were arrested
- In 2021 it is estimated that over 100,000 scammers will be arrested
The reason so little is done? Because victims (95% of them) do not report!.
If You Want The Recent Trends To Continue Then You Have To Do Your Part! Report EVERY scam!
FBI IC3.gov Frequently Asked Questions
Prior To Filing A Complaint
- Q: Who should file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
- You may file a complaint with the IC3 if you believe you have been the victim of an Internet crime or if you want to file on behalf of another person you believe has been such a victim.
- Q: What details will I be asked to include in my complaint?
- The IC3’s ability to process your complaint will be based upon the accuracy and completeness of the information provided. The following is the type of information we ask for in the complaint form:
- Victim’s name, address, telephone, and email
- This will be your information if you are the victim, or another person if you are filing on behalf of a third party
- Financial transaction information (e.g., account information, transaction date and amount, who received the money)
- Subject’s name, address, telephone, email, website, and IP address
- The subject is the person/entity allegedly committing the Internet crime
- Specific details on how you were victimized
- Email header(s)
- Any other relevant information you believe is necessary to support your complaint
- Victim’s name, address, telephone, and email
- Q: How does the IC3 define Internet crime?
- Internet crime includes any illegal activity involving one or more components of the Internet, such as websites, chat rooms, and/or email. Internet crime involves the use of the Internet to communicate false or fraudulent representations to consumers. These crimes may include but are not limited to, advance-fee schemes, non-delivery of goods or services, computer hacking, or employment/business opportunity schemes.
- Q: Can I file a complaint if I am a citizen of the United States but have been victimized by an individual or company outside of the United States?
- If either the victim or the alleged subject of the Internet crime is located within the United States, you may file a complaint with the IC3
- Q: Can I file a complaint if I have been victimized by an individual or company in the United States, but I am not a citizen of the United States?
- Yes, if either you or the alleged subject of the Internet crime is located within the United States, regardless of citizenship, you may file a complaint with the IC3.
After A Complaint Is Filed
- Q: What happens after I file a complaint?
- Trained analysts at the IC3 review and research the complaints, disseminating information to the appropriate federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues., civil, or administrative action, as appropriate.
- Q: When will I be updated on the status of the investigation of my complaint?
- After you file a complaint with the IC3, the information is reviewed by an analyst and forwarded to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies with jurisdiction. The IC3 does not conduct investigations and, therefore, is not able to provide the investigative status of a previously filed complaint. Investigation and prosecution are at the discretion of the receiving agencies.
- Q: Will I be informed that my complaint was received successfully?
- Once you file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), you will receive the following message at the top of your filed complaint:
Thank you for submitting your complaint to the IC3. Please save or print a copy for your records. This is the only time you will have to make a copy of your complaint.
- Q: How do I cancel the complaint that I filed?
- Once a complaint has been filed with the IC3, it cannot be canceled.
Related Evidence
- Q: Should I retain evidence that supports my complaint or send it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)?
- IC3 does not collect evidence regarding complaints. While you may cut and paste information into your complaint (e.g., email headers), you must be sure to keep all original documents in a secure location. In the event that law enforcement or a regulatory agency opens an investigation, they may request the information directly from you.
- Q: What type of information would possibly be considered evidence in regard to my complaint?
- It is important that you keep any evidence you may have related to your complaint. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Canceled checks
- Credit card receipts
- Money order receipts
- Certified or other mail receipts
- Wire receipts
- Virtual currency receipts
- Pre-paid card receipts
- Envelopes (if you received items via FedEx, UPS, or U.S. Mail)
- Facsimiles
- Pamphlets or brochures
- Phone bills
- Printed or preferably electronic copies of emails (if printed, include full email header information)
- Printed or preferably electronic copies of web pages
- Hard drive images
- PCAP files containing malicious network traffic
- Network, host system, and/or security appliance logs
- Copies of malwareMalware Short for "malicious software," this term means computer viruses and other types of programs that cybercriminals use to disrupt or access your computer, typically with the aim of gathering sensitive files and accounts.
- Chat transcripts and/or telephony logs
Keep items in a safe location in the event you are requested to provide them for investigative or prosecutive evidence.
Urgent Complaints
- Q: Can I file a complaint if I have been threatened over the Internet via email, chat room, website, etc?
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 911 or your local police.
- Q: What should I do if I believe my complaint is time-sensitive?
- After you file a complaint with the IC3, the information is reviewed by an analyst and forwarded to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies with jurisdiction. As investigation and prosecution are at the discretion of the receiving agencies, please contact local law enforcement directly if you believe your matter is time-sensitive.
Terrorist Tips
- Q: Where should I submit information relating to possible terrorist activity?
- To submit possible terrorist information, please visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website and submit a tip.
Disclosure of Information
- Q: What information can the Internet Crime Complaint Center provide regarding the legitimacy of a company?
- The IC3 cannot provide information on a specific company. The IC3 serves as the FBI’s central repository for the collection of Internet crime complaints.
- Q: What information can the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) provide if I think that a complaint has been filed against me or my company?
- The IC3 is not a resource available to the general public for answering questions arising from the complaint information it receives. IC3 does not release information about specific complaints and/or the resolution of those complaints. Therefore, IC3 is unable to provide you with such information.
Spam Emails
- Q: Is there an email address I can forward SPAM emails that I receive?
- The IC3 does not have an email address established for the receipt of such information. When filing a complaint at the IC3, be sure to copy and paste the entire email, including the header information, in the complaint.
Essential Tools For Every Scam Victim From SCARS
Each is based on our SCARS Team’s 30 plus years of experience.
SCARS GREEN BOOK
Self-Help Self-Paced Recovery Program Guide
LEARN HOW TO RECOVER ON YOUR OWN
This program is designed to help scam victims struggling to recover on their own and for those who want to understand the overall process. You can be using other resources, such as traumaTrauma Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety or other emotional shocks, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized. Trauma requires treatment, either through counseling or therapy or through trauma-oriented support programs, such as those offered by SCARS. counselingCounseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor, is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with addiction and substance abuse; family, parenting, and marital problems; stress management; self-esteem; and aging. They may also work with "Social Workers", "Psychiatrists", and "Psychologists". SCARS does not provide mental health counseling. or therapy, qualified support groupsSupport Groups In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic, such as romance scams. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening to and accepting others' experiences, providing sympathetic understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy. They can be supervised or not. SCARS support groups are moderated by the SCARS Team and or volunteers., or completely independent – on your own!
The SCARS Steps program is a complete program and is provided for the purpose of helping scam victims to overcome this experience. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues and challenges that a victim may have and help guide them through their recovery. But each person is different and it is important to understand your own reasons for being vulnerable to being scammed.
After the trauma of being scammed, you need to take steps to recover and move on. This may be an alternative to counseling in the short term, but we still encourage you to seek out professional help & support. Throughout this SCARS Steps Program, we speak about issues, challenges, defects, or problems that a victim may have in a generalized way.
The SCARS GREEN BOOK will help you recover from your scam offline and it will always be there when you need it!
SCARS BLUE BOOK
A Unique SurvivorSurvivor A Scam Survivor is a victim who has been able to fully accept the reality of their situation. That they were the victim of a crime and are not to blame. They are working on their emotional recovery and reduction of any trauma either on their own, through a qualified support organization, or through counseling or therapy. And has done their duty and reported the crime to their local police, national police, and on Anyscam.com’s Recovery Journal
THE PERFECT DAILY JOURNAL FOR SCAM VICTIMS IN RECOVERY
Give yourself the perfect tool to measure and track your recovery progress while getting the therapeutic benefit of journaling!
This official SCARS Self-Help Recovery Program Journal allows you to record your journey day by day, to be able to look back and see your progress, and measure your achievements. While this is a difficult time in your life, it will get better in time and journaling is an important way to help you through many of those moments, but also to show yourself how strong you are!
The Official SCARS BLUE BOOK is your way of recording this struggle and help yourself through it.
A special discount is available when buying 3 at a time.
SCARS RED BOOK
Your Personal Scam Evidence & Crime Record Organizer
ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION TO MAKE THE REPORTING PROCESS SIMPLE!
Helps you get and stay organized. This publication is to help Scam Victims organize their crime information. Complete this information before reporting to the police then bring this book with you
Before or after reporting to the police the RED BOOK gives you a dedicated tool to record all the essential facts of this crime. The Victim, the Scammers, the Money, and your Police interactions. Everything that really matters can be easily recorded for your immediate use and for the future!
As we have seen, money recovery/repayment programs can become available years after the scam ends and you need to keep all the details of this crime in case it is needed. We have also seen scammers being extradited to the U.S. and other countries, this will help in the event you testify or give statements, Additionally, this helps you have your information ready to qualify for victims’ benefits, compensation, or aid.
The Official SCARS RED BOOK is your way of recording all the important facts of this crime so that you do not lose essential information, Complete the RED BOOK then put it away with the confidence that you will have it if or when it is needed.
SCARS LIME BOOK
Wisdom & Motivation for Scam Victims
A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE FOR MOTIVATION & WISDOM ABOUT SCAMSScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime - is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. & RECOVERY
After the scam, life is filled with challenges and uncertainty. So many things are going wrong and how do you recover from the experience. There is a way. In the SCARS GREEN BOOK we present the complete SCARS Steps Recovery Program, but there is more to it.
You need to keep yourself motivated and understand that you are not the first person to go through this. The SCARS LIME BOOK helps you stay positive and motivated, and gain the wisdom that comes from helping millions of scam victims that SCARS has done.
This small book is packed with motivational insights and survivor wisdom to help you get up every day, make it through the through times, and sleep assured that time heals all emotional wounds.
The Official SCARS LINE BOOK is your way of reminding yourself every day that you are strong and can make it through this!
SCARS SLATE BOOK – A Guide For Families & Friends Of Scam Victims
HOW TO HELP ROMANCE SCAM VICTIMS FOR FAMILIES & FRIENDS OF SCAM VICTIMS
This SCARS Publishing book represents a complete guide to help the families and friends understand how these scams work and how to help the victim.
The SCARS Slate Book should be purchased by family and friends to better understand what happened to the victim and the traumatic impact on them. But it can also be shared by the victim so that they do not have to explain to family and friends about the scam. This publication is to help others to help Scam Victims to make it through this traumatic experience and recover.
Each person is different and it is important to understand how relationship scamsRelationship Scam A Relationship Scam is a one-to-one criminal act that involves a trust relationship and uses deception & manipulation to get a victim to give to the criminal something of value, such as money! Click here to learn more: What Is A Relationship Scam? work and why people are vulnerable; to being scammed, how they were lured in, then groomed and manipulated. This understanding is essential in helping them through the process of ending the scam and then on to recovery. The SCARS Slate Book will provide the information necessary to help support a victim through this process.
SCARS PEARL BOOK – The SCARS Online Safety Password Log Book
AN ONLINE SAFETY TOOL FROM SCARS HELPS YOU TO STAY SAFE ONLINE!
We all know that we need to create and maintain stronger & safer passwords, but how can anyone possibly manage them? Actually, the process is not that hard with the right tools. Every only user needs to have two items: 1) a Password Manager App (such as LastPass or TrueKey), and 2) a master password log book!
But if you have a password manager app why do you need a logbook too? Because what if you are unable to access your password manager? What do you do then? The truth is that all software can be unavailable at times, or what do you do if you forget the password to your password manager? The answer is to have a backup logbook where you store all of your passwords in an organized way.
The SCARS PEARL BOOK helps to remind you about how to create strong passwords and how to keep them safe, but most importantly organizes all of your passwords in one place by accounts wor websites, making them easy to maintain and find when you need them.
Your Feedback!
Please share your feedback below. Hearing from victims helps us refine our knowledge about scammer’s processes and methods, and then be able to better share factual authoritative information with victims worldwide. Please scroll down and share your thoughts and comments. What you think and experienced matters.
Please Share:
Please share our articles and knowledge with your friends & family. This is important!
Help others stay safe online – your knowledge can make the difference for both those being groomed and victims! The next victim might be your own family member or best friend!
By the SCARS™ Editorial Team
Society of Citizens Against Relationship ScamsSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims.
Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Inc.
A Worldwide Crime Victims Assistance & Crime Prevention Nonprofit Organization Headquartered In Miami Florida USA & Monterrey NL Mexico, with Partners In More Than 60 Countries
To Learn More, Volunteer, or Donate Visit: www.AgainstScams.org
Contact Us: Contact@AgainstScams.org
