Report Fraud
If you are in need of legal advice, please contact your local bar association at www.findlegalhelp.org. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland conducts criminal prosecutions, defends agencies of the United States when sued in court, prosecutes civil enforcement activities in a variety of fraud matters and collects debts owed to the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office cannot provide legal advice to citizens.
If you would like to report fraud, please contact the appropriate investigative agency as follows:
Covid-19 Fraud:
If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you can report it without leaving your home by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721
Financial Fraud:
If you are a victim of identity theft remember that when dealing with the authorities and financial institutions, it is very important to:
- File a police report.
- Keep a log of all conversations (including dates, names, and phone numbers).
- Note time spent and any expenses incurred, in case you are able to request restitution in a later judgment or conviction.
- Confirm conversations in writing, and send all correspondence by certified mail, return receipt requested.
- Keep copies of all letters and documents.
- Place a fraud on your credit report.
- Check your credit reports periodically.
- Close accounts that you believe to have been fraudulently opened.
- Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): 1-877-382-4357
- The Office for Victims of Crime- Victims of Identity Theft or Fraud Resources
Identity theft and fraud are crimes in which an impostor gains access to key pieces of personal identifying information (PII) such as a Social Security number (SSN) and driver’s license number and uses them for personal gain or to commit other criminal activities. In the case of true name identity theft, the thief goes beyond stealing the victim’s assets and actually assumes his or her identity. Identity theft may begin with a lost or stolen wallet, pilfered mail, a data breach, a computer virus, phishing, a scam, or paper documents thrown out by an individual or a business and retrieved by a thief (dumpster diving).
Identity Theft:
The Federal Trade Commission recommends these immediate recovery steps if you are a victim of identity theft:
- Call the companies where you know fraud occurred.
- Place a fraud alert and get your credit reports.
- Report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (En Espanol): 1-877-438-4338
Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Publications:
- Medical Identity Theft: What to know, What to do (English)/ (En Español)
- Identity Theft- What to Know, What to do (English)/ (En Español)
- Child Identity Theft: What to Know, What to do (English)/(En Español)
- Identity Theft: A Recovery Plan (English)/(En Español)
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC): 1-877-4338/ Identitytheft.gov/
- Report Identity Theft (En Espanol)
Elder Fraud:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11/ 833-372-8311
- Elder Fraud — FBI
- Maryland Elder Abuse- Department of Human Services: 1-800-332-6347
- And/OR Project SAFE (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) - Maryland Department of Human Services 1-800-AGE-DIAL or 1-800-243-3425
- AARP’s Scam, Fraud Alerts - Protect Your Digital Identity (aarp.org) 1-877-908-3360
General Fraud and Other Criminal Matters
Contact the FBI, Baltimore at 410-265-8080, or online at www.fbi.gov or tips.fbi.gov.
Health Care Fraud, Medicare/Medicaid Fraud, and Related Matters
Contact the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-447-8477, or online at https://www.oig.hhs.gov/
Internet Fraud
Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) online at www.ic3.gov
Mail Fraud and Lottery/Sweepstakes Fraud
- Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service, National Law Enforcement Communications Center (NLECC) at 888-USNLECC (888-876-5322), or online at https://www.uspis.gov/
Securities Fraud
Contact the Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330, or online at www.sec.gov or www.sec.gov/complaint/select.shtml.
State and Local Fraud
Contact your local Police Department or the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.
Unemployment Insurance Identity Theft
Contact the U.S. Department of Labor at www.dol.gov/fraud.