Account & access
Can I report a scam without an account?
Yes. The report form at /report-scam accepts fully anonymous submissions — no account, no email required. Your report goes into review, and once confirmed it appears in the public registry.
Reports are not published instantly. A new scam enters the public registry after it is confirmed by multiple independent reports or approved by an admin review. This protects everyone from false or defamatory listings while keeping the registry trustworthy.
Signing in is optional but useful: a report tied to your free account lets you track its status, and confirmed reports earn contributor points on the public leaderboard.
If you lost money, also report to the authorities — in the US that is the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the FBI's IC3 (ic3.gov), plus your bank or payment provider. GACS is a warning registry, not a law-enforcement body, and never charges victims.
In practice
- Anonymous reports are welcome at /report-scam — no account needed.
- Reports are confirmed by multiple submissions or admin review before publication.
- A free account lets you track your report and earn contributor points.
- Also report to the FTC and IC3 if you lost money — links are on the report page.
Related questions
Is the GACS account really free?
Yes. There is no paywall on core safety features. A free account unlocks higher daily scan limits, history, watchlist and alerts. Optional paid tiers exist for continuous monitoring and family protection, but personal safety basics stay free.
Can I open a shared scan link without an account?
Yes — verdict pages (/scan/<id>) and warning links are fully public.
How do I activate my free Shield account?
Open /signup, choose email and password or Google sign-in, and you are in. Activation takes under a minute and immediately raises your daily scan limits and unlocks the dashboard.
See the full list on the Access FAQ page.