Reporting Guide · 2026
How to report a scam website — where & how
The complete 12-step playbook for getting a scam or phishing site taken down — Google, FTC, FBI/IC3, Cloudflare, registrars, hosts, payment providers and email providers. Copy-paste templates included. Most takedowns in 24–72 hours. All free, all anonymous if you want.
The 12-step reporting checklist
- 1
Capture evidence before the site disappears
Screenshot the URL bar (full URL visible), the scam content, any wallet or payment instructions. Save the page with archive.org's 'Save Page Now' — scammers delete sites once reported.
- 2
Report to GACS
Submit at /report. We add it to the public scam database within minutes — warning every visitor and every browser extension user from the next click onward.
- 3
Report to Google Safe Browsing
Use safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish. Google adds the URL to the warning list Chrome, Firefox, and Safari read. Effective within hours.
- 4
Report to the FTC (US consumers)
File at reportfraud.ftc.gov — takes 5 minutes, no account needed. The FTC feeds reports to 3,000+ law-enforcement partners and powers the Consumer Sentinel Network used by attorneys general.
- 5
Report to Cloudflare (if applicable)
Many scam sites hide behind Cloudflare. Use abuse.cloudflare.com — pick 'Phishing & Other Fraud'. Cloudflare passes the report to the host and may interstitial the site.
- 6
Report to the domain registrar
Look up the registrar at whois.com. Email abuse@<registrar>. Namecheap, GoDaddy, and Tucows act quickly on documented phishing.
- 7
Report to the hosting provider
WHOIS also reveals the host (e.g. Hetzner, OVH, DigitalOcean, AWS). Email their abuse address (usually abuse@<host>). Hosts have stricter ToS than registrars and often pull a site in hours.
- 8
Report to the payment provider
If money moved through PayPal, Wise, Revolut, Stripe, Cash App, or a card network, open a dispute or report fraud. Even a single chargeback flags the merchant account and can freeze further withdrawals.
- 9
Report to the email provider
If the scam reached you through Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud Mail, mark it as phishing inside the client. Mass reports trigger account suspension and stop the campaign at the source.
- 10
Report to APWG and PhishTank
Submit at apwg.org/reportphishing and phishtank.com. These feeds are read by Microsoft SmartScreen, browsers, and security vendors globally.
- 11
File with law enforcement if money was lost
US: ic3.gov (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center) · UK: actionfraud.police.uk · Canada: antifraudcentre.ca · EU: report at your national cybercrime unit. Include all evidence from step 1.
- 12
Warn your network
Share the GACS scam page on X, WhatsApp groups, Reddit. The fastest way to neutralize a scam is to deny it victims.
Free copy-paste reporting templates
Reports written in plain English with concrete evidence get actioned faster than walls of text. Copy a template, swap in the URL and your details, and paste.
Google Safe Browsing — phishing report
Where to send: safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish
URL: https://example-scam.com Why this is phishing: The page impersonates [brand] and requests login credentials / seed phrase / card details. The domain was registered on [date], uses a free SSL certificate, and is not affiliated with [brand]. Screenshots and archive.org snapshot below.
Registrar abuse — domain takedown
Where to send: abuse@<registrar> (find via whois.com)
Subject: Abuse report — phishing domain example-scam.com Hello, I'm reporting example-scam.com (registered through your service) for phishing and consumer fraud. The site impersonates [brand], collects [credentials / payment details / seed phrases], and has already been reported by [N] users on GACS (https://gacs.app/scam/<slug>). Evidence: - Screenshot: [link] - Archive.org snapshot: [link] - WHOIS shows registration on [date] Please suspend the domain under your acceptable-use policy. Happy to provide additional evidence. Thanks, [Your name]
Payment provider — fraud / chargeback
Where to send: PayPal Resolution Center · Wise dispute · card-issuer fraud line
I'm reporting transaction [ID] dated [date] for [amount] to merchant [name / email] as fraudulent. The merchant operates the website example-scam.com, which is a confirmed scam (see https://gacs.app/scam/<slug> — [N] community reports). I did not authorize this purchase / the goods were never delivered / the merchant has refused refund. Requesting full chargeback and merchant review.
Related reading
FAQ
Where do I report a scam website?
Start with GACS (/report) and Google Safe Browsing — both warn other people within hours. Then layer on the FTC (US) or Action Fraud (UK), the registrar (find via whois.com), the hosting provider, Cloudflare (if the site uses it), APWG, and PhishTank. If you lost money, also file with the FBI's IC3 and report to your payment provider for a chargeback.
How do I report a website to Google?
Use safebrowsing.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish for phishing pages — Chrome, Firefox, and Safari pick up the warning within hours. For scam ads, use Google's Report a Scam Ad form. For search-result spam, use the Google Search 'Report spam' tool. Use the template above to make the report stick.
How do I report a scam website to the FBI?
File a complaint at ic3.gov — the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. It accepts reports from anyone (you don't have to be the victim), takes ~10 minutes, and feeds the data to FBI field offices plus 3,000+ partner agencies. Have the URL, dates, dollar amounts, and any wallet addresses / payment IDs ready.
How long does it take to get a scam site taken down?
Google Safe Browsing warnings often appear in 6-24 hours. Full registrar takedown usually takes 24-72 hours for clear phishing, longer for fake stores. Reporting to GACS warns users immediately.
Can I report a scam website anonymously?
Yes. GACS, Google Safe Browsing, APWG, and PhishTank all accept anonymous reports. The FTC and FBI/IC3 require contact info for follow-up but you don't need to be the victim — you can report a scam you only spotted.
What information do I need to report a scam website?
Minimum: the full URL (with https://), the date you saw it, and a sentence describing the scam type (fake store, phishing, crypto recovery, romance, etc.). Strongly recommended: a screenshot of the URL bar + page, an archive.org snapshot, any wallet address / payment instructions, and the amount lost (if any). The templates above show the exact wording that gets reports actioned.
Can I get my money back after reporting a scam website?
Sometimes. Card and PayPal payments are usually recoverable through chargeback within 60–120 days. Bank wires and crypto are much harder — but reporting fast still matters: payment providers can sometimes freeze in-flight transfers, and a confirmed fraud report is required for any later civil or criminal recovery.
Does reporting a scam website actually work?
Yes — but the leverage comes from stacking reports. One report to Google might do nothing; the same report sent in parallel to Google, the registrar, the host, Cloudflare, and APWG almost always pulls the site within 72 hours. Use the 12-step checklist above — each step takes 2–5 minutes.
What if the scam site is on Cloudflare?
Cloudflare doesn't host content — they proxy it. Report to abuse.cloudflare.com AND to the underlying host (Cloudflare's response will disclose it). Both matter.
Should I report a scam I didn't fall for?
Absolutely. Most reports come from people who spotted the scam — not victims. Every report shortens the site's lifespan and protects the next person.
Report a scam in 30 seconds.
Add it to the public scam database — protect the next person.
Report a scamNot sure it's a scam yet? Run the website checker first — is this site safe & legit? →
Cite this page / Press kit
Journalists, researchers and educators are welcome to cite this page. Use the permalink below or copy a ready-made citation.
Permalink
https://gacs.app/how-to-report-a-scam-website- APA
GACS. (2026). How to Report a Scam Website (Free, 2026 Guide). GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety. Retrieved September 6, 2026, from https://gacs.app/how-to-report-a-scam-website
- MLA
"How to Report a Scam Website (Free, 2026 Guide)." GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety, GACS, 2026, https://gacs.app/how-to-report-a-scam-website. Accessed September 6, 2026.
- Chicago
GACS. "How to Report a Scam Website (Free, 2026 Guide)." GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety. Accessed September 6, 2026. https://gacs.app/how-to-report-a-scam-website.
- BibTeX
@misc{gacs_how_to_report_a_scam_website, author = {GACS}, title = {How to Report a Scam Website (Free, 2026 Guide)}, howpublished = {GACS — Global Anti-Crime & Safety}, year = {2026}, note = {Accessed: September 6, 2026}, url = {https://gacs.app/how-to-report-a-scam-website} }
Press / media enquiries: About GACS · Editorial policy · Methodology
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Authoritative sources
Independent primary sources used to check and corroborate the guidance on this page.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Official US channel for reporting internet-enabled fraud and cybercrime.
- US Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraud
Consumer fraud reporting and published enforcement data.
- UK Action Fraud
UK national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Canada's central repository for fraud reports and scam alerts.
