How to Submit an FBI Report on Emails

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and is not equivalent to the services of a licensed lawyer. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help, and does not offer legal services. Third party news articles mentioned on our website do not necessarily reflect the views of the company, or the current services that we offer.

Submit an FBI Report on Emails From Scammers, and Get Money for Fighting Spam with DoNotPay!

Scammers have been around since the dawn of time, but knowing that more than 60% of Americans claim they’ve been scammed online is a worrying piece of data. With the development of cyber technologies and all kinds of conveniences of using the Internet, online security has never been more important.

The most dangerous threats to the security of your sensitive information are scam and fraud emails. While the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the government body that deals with most scam complaints and reports, it is possible to report email fraud to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well.

Most Common Examples of Internet Fraud

Spam email is annoying, and learning how to stop it usually does the trick. Besides bothersome marketing campaigns that try to sell yet another miracle product for weight loss, there are far more dangerous emails that can reach your inbox.

Internet fraud comes in many forms. Some examples look so believable and legitimate that the number of people who fall for them doesn’t surprise. These are the most common Internet crime schemes that use email:

Scam Type

Brief Description

Phishing and Spoofing in General

  • Involve emails that claim to be from legitimate organizations or companies
  • Their goal is to get a hold of your passwords, credit card info, or bank account details

Lotteries

  • Target random email addresses on the false pretense that the user won
  • Emails usually involve a request of an initial fee from $1,000 to $5,000

Nigerian Letter/419

  • Emails sent by alleged Nigerian government officials asking for money in exchange for the opportunity to share in a percentage of vast funds that need to be placed in overseas accounts
  • The author usually requests multiple installments and increasing amounts for various reasons

Hitman Scams

  • The goal is to extort your money under the pretense that someone close is held hostage or will be kidnapped
  • Emails include real details from your life, probably collected on social media

Travel Scams

  • Contain hard-to-refuse great deals for luxurious destinations
  • Common during summer months or before holidays like Christmas or New Year

How to Report Email Scams to the FBI?

Suppose you've been a victim of an Internet fraud via email and lost money, or you've experienced a phishing attempt. In that case, you can report your incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership project of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. You can submit the complaint for yourself or on behalf of someone else. The report process will require a lot of information so before you proceed, prepare the following details:

  • Victim’s personal information including name, address, telephone, and email
  • Financial transaction information
  • The information about the perpetrator like name, address, telephone, email, website, IP address, etc.
  • Email headers

Once you collect everything, the process of submitting a complaint involves these steps:

  1. Open the IC3 web page for complaints
  2. Make sure to read the terms and conditions before you click on I Accept
  3. Fill out the Complaint Referral Form with relevant information
  4. Provide your digital signature
  5. Hit the Submit Complaint button

You can submit a complaint regardless of your citizenship status. Either you or the alleged perpetrator must be located in the United States. It is important to notice that IC3 serves only as a collecting point and doesn’t conduct investigations. After you submit your complaint and trained analysts review it, the information is further distributed to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

Improve Your Online Security Beyond Reporting Email Scams to the FBI

Like with most things in life, when it comes to email scams, it is better to be safe than sorry. Learning how to unsubscribe from emails and reporting spam emails might prove useful for harmless junk or irritating newsletters. Still, when it comes to serious cybercrime, you can never be too careful. Check out some of the things you can do to increase the safety of your inbox:

  • Set up two-factor authentication on any account that has this option
  • Be alert about email attachments and download files only from trusted sources
  • Learn how to stop receiving emails that you deem unwanted or that seem shady
  • Don’t act on emails requesting you to update account details
  • Double-check the sender’s information since scammers use slight spelling differences to trick you
  • Make sure to know how to block spam email on Android or your iPhone
  • Use DoNotPay for better email protection

Don’t Wait to Report Email Scams to the FBI! Block Them With DoNotPay!

Using high-quality solutions for fighting suspicious emails before they can do any harm is crucial in this day and age. DoNotPay’s mission is to maximize your online safety with a tool that efficiently blocks unwanted emails from reaching you ever again. You don’t have to bother with setting up complicated spam filters in your email apps. DoNotPay’s process is simple and easy:

  1. Create a DoNotPay profile using a
  2. Select Spam Collector from your dashboard
  3. Provide the email address you want to protect
  4. Use spam@donotpay.com to forward us any untrustworthy email that reaches you

Your DoNotPay AI assistant will block the sender right away and unsubscribe you from receiving that email in the future. Another great feature of our app is that it can notify you whether there are currently ongoing investigations about that sender, so you can add your name to the class action lawsuit against them. If your side wins the case, you can get compensated in cash—spam email revenge at its best!

Protect Your Physical Mailbox Too!

Unfortunately, scammers don’t target just your email address. There is still a fair share of fraud attempts that end up in your mailbox via snail mail. Whether they ask for donations to shady organizations or ask you to confirm your sensitive private information, you can get rid of them with DoNotPay’s help. If you want to keep your physical mailbox safe, follow these steps:

  1. Photograph the spam mail you want to get rid of with your cell phone
  2. Open DoNotPay’s
  3. Locate DoNotMail option
  4. Upload the photographs you’ve taken

Not only will you prevent scammers from reaching you, but you can also significantly reduce the amount of marketing junk and your paper waste. DoNotPay works for you and the benefit of the environment!

DoNotPay Fights Dangerous Emails and Then Some!

Reporting email abuse might fix one of your issues, but there are probably more nuisances plaguing your daily life. The good news is that DoNotPay’s help doesn’t stop with fighting spammers and scammers in your email inbox. The world’s first AI Consumer Champion that can fit in your pocket can do so much more for you.

Isn’t it impressive that you can fight even sexual harassment or cyberstalking with the help of an app? Claiming your money back for an unsatisfactory purchase has never been easier as well. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for an Expedia refund for your travel woes or Walmart refunds when that item you bought doesn’t work as you hoped.

Create a DoNotPay account in your and change your life for better with some of DoNotPay’s solutions:

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