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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

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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:

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United States Scam Reporting Agencies and Consumer Protection Offices

State Consumer Protection Offices

• Colorado Office of the Attorney General
  Email:
  stop.fraud@state.co.us
  Address: Colorado Office of the Attorney General
  Consumer Protection Section
  1300 Broadway, 10th Floor
  Denver, CO 80203
  Phone Number: 720-508-6006
  Toll-free: 1-800-222-4444 (CO)

County Consumer Protection Offices

• Pueblo County District Attorney's Office
  Address: Pueblo County District Attorney's Office
  Economic Crimes Unit
  701 Court St.
  Pueblo, CO 81003
  Phone Number: 719-583-6030
  
• Weld County District Attorney's Office
  Address: Weld County District Attorney's Office
  915 10th St.
  PO Box 1167
  Greeley, CO 80632-1167
  Phone Number: 970-356-4010
  
• Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office
  Address: Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office
  Economic Crimes Division
  El Paso and Teller Counties
  105 E. Vermijo Ave.
  Colorado Springs, CO 80903
  Phone Number: 719-520-6000 719-520-6002 (Fraud Hotline)

City Consumer Protection Offices

• Denver District Attorney's Office
  Email:
  info@denverda.org.
  Address: Denver District Attorney's Office
  Economic Crimes Unit
  201 W. Colfax Ave.
  Denver, CO 80202
  Phone Number: 720-913-9179

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 Regulatory Agencies
  Email:
  DORA_BankingWebsite@state.co.us
  Address: Department of Regulatory Agencies
  Division of Banking
  1560 Broadway, Suite 975
  Denver, CO 80202
  Phone Number: 303-894-7575

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.

• Department of Regulatory Agencies
  Email:
  insurance@dora.state.co.us.
  Address: Department of Regulatory Agencies
  Division of Insurance
  1560 Broadway, Suite 850
  Denver, CO 80202
  Phone Number: 303-894-7490
  Toll-free: 1-800-930-3745 (CO)

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.

• Department of Regulatory Agencies
  Email:
  dora_SecuritiesWebsite@state.co.us
  Address: Department of Regulatory Agencies
  Division of Securities
  1560 Broadway, Suite 900
  Denver, CO 80202
  Phone Number: 303-894-2320
  TTY: 1-800-659-2656

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 Utilities Commission
  Email:
  dora_puc_complaints@state.co.us
  Address: Public Utilities Commission
  Consumer Protection Division
  1560 Broadway, Suite 250
  Denver, CO 80202
  Phone Number: 303-894-2070
  Toll-free: 1-800-456-0858 (CO)
  
  

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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!

 

 

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