The FBI and the US Attorney General's office are pleading with all of us to help them out.

See, most of us like to go about our daily business without being bothered to leave a review, report a problem or complain about a disservice.

Scams impersonating the FBI and other government agencies are a persistent problem and can also occur via e-mail. If you think you are a victim of this, or any other online scam please file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

Officials with the FBI say the scams are not going away anytime soon, but the best way to limit the scamster's abilities is to report the crime.

"We urge the public to don't just hope it goes away, but do something about it," reads the FBI scam prevention website.

The FBI will never:

  • Call or e-mail private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest.
  • Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
  • Ask you for wire transfers or gift cards.
  • Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.

The ic3.gov website is easy to use as simply clicking on the big red "File a Complaint," button leads to a simple form to complete the process and could save others from being scammed.

"Your report helps us fulfill our mission of protecting the American people. While we cannot guarantee a response to every complaint, your report is still valuable. It helps us understand the broader threat landscape. Furthermore, in those cases where we are able to take action, we will work to provide justice," is the promise issued by the site.

"Due to the massive number of complaints, we receive each year, IC3 cannot respond directly to every submission, but please know we take each report seriously. With your help, we can and will respond faster, defend cyber networks better, and more effectively protect our nation."

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