SEC
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission handles fraud involving stocks, bonds, investment funds, promissory notes, and most "investment contracts," including many crypto offerings.
sec.gov/tcr · Tips, Complaints and Referrals portal
Reporting tool
Where to report a Ponzi scheme
Different agencies handle different kinds of investments. Answer four questions and we'll point you to the right places. Filing with more than one agency is fine and often helpful.
Find the right agency in four questions
Where to report
The agencies
CFTC
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission handles fraud in futures, options, forex, and commodities, including fraud involving crypto assets treated as commodities.
FBI · IC3
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center takes reports of fraud committed online, by wire, or through crypto. Reports feed criminal investigations, and fast reporting can sometimes help freeze transfers.
FINRA
FINRA oversees brokerage firms and registered brokers. Report here if a broker was involved, including a broker selling investments "away" from their firm. Check anyone's record on BrokerCheck.
State securities regulator
Every state has one. They often act fastest on local schemes, and many investment fraud cases are brought at the state level. See the full directory below.
State attorney general
Attorneys general handle consumer fraud, including business-opportunity, pyramid, and real estate schemes that may fall outside securities rules. In some states the AG also runs securities enforcement.
FTC
The Federal Trade Commission collects reports on pyramid schemes, business-opportunity fraud, and other consumer scams, and shares them with law enforcement nationwide.
Before and after you file
What to include in a report
- Names of the people and companies involved, with websites, phone numbers, and addresses
- What you were told the investment was and what returns were promised
- Dates and amounts of every payment you made and received
- How you paid: bank, wire, payment app, check, or crypto wallet
- How you were approached and who introduced you
- What made you suspicious, in plain words
- Copies of key documents, or a note that you have them
What happens after you file
- You'll usually get a confirmation or submission number. Keep it.
- Agencies rarely update individual filers, because investigations are confidential. Silence doesn't mean your report was ignored.
- Staff may contact you for documents or an interview.
- Cases can take months or years. Agencies may sue, freeze assets, or refer the case for criminal charges.
- A report isn't a claim for your money. If a receiver or trustee is appointed, there will be a separate claims process, often announced on a court-approved website.
Evidence checklist
0 of 15 savedTicks are saved in this browser only.
Preserving emails and messages
- Export full emails as files (.eml or PDF). Forwarding strips the original header details investigators use.
- Export entire chat histories from WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or Discord, including group chats, using the app's export feature.
- Screenshots help, but should show the sender, date, and time.
- Keep voicemails and recorded webinars. Note who spoke and when.
- Store copies in two places, such as a USB drive and a cloud folder you control.
Preserving payment records and promotions
- Download bank and card statements for the whole period, not just the transactions you remember.
- Save wire confirmations with the receiving bank and account name.
- For crypto, record transaction IDs, wallet addresses, exchange names, and dates.
- Save web pages as PDFs with the address and date visible. Free archive services can also record a public page.
- Keep brochures, slide decks, contracts, and any "account dashboard" screenshots.
Timeline worksheet
Example rows are filled in. Replace them with your own. Saved in this browser only.
| Date | What happened | Amount ($) | Proof you have |
|---|
State securities regulators
Every state and D.C. has an office that regulates investments sold there. Report to the state where you live and the state where the seller is based. Agency names change from time to time, so use the NASAA directory to confirm current contact details.
| State | Securities regulator | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Securities Commission | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Alaska | Division of Banking and Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Arizona | Arizona Corporation Commission, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Securities Department | Contact details · Attorney general |
| California | Department of Financial Protection and Innovation | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Colorado | Division of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Connecticut | Department of Banking, Securities and Business Investments Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Delaware | Department of Justice, Investor Protection Unit | Contact details · Attorney general |
| District of Columbia | Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Florida | Office of Financial Regulation | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Georgia | Secretary of State, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Hawaii | Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Securities Enforcement Branch | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Idaho | Department of Finance, Securities Bureau | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Illinois | Secretary of State, Securities Department | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Indiana | Secretary of State, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Iowa | Iowa Insurance Division, Securities Bureau | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Kansas | Office of the Securities Commissioner (within the Insurance Department) | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Kentucky | Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Louisiana | Office of Financial Institutions, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Maine | Office of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Maryland | Office of the Attorney General, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Massachusetts | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Michigan | Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Minnesota | Department of Commerce | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Mississippi | Secretary of State, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Missouri | Secretary of State, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Montana | Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Nebraska | Department of Banking and Finance, Bureau of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Nevada | Secretary of State, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| New Hampshire | Bureau of Securities Regulation | Contact details · Attorney general |
| New Jersey | Bureau of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| New Mexico | Regulation and Licensing Department, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| New York | Office of the Attorney General, Investor Protection Bureau | Contact details · Attorney general |
| North Carolina | Secretary of State, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| North Dakota | Securities Department | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Ohio | Department of Commerce, Division of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Oklahoma | Department of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Oregon | Division of Financial Regulation | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Pennsylvania | Department of Banking and Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Rhode Island | Department of Business Regulation, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| South Carolina | Office of the Attorney General, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| South Dakota | Division of Insurance, Securities Regulation (Department of Labor and Regulation) | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Tennessee | Department of Commerce and Insurance, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Texas | Texas State Securities Board | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Utah | Division of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Vermont | Department of Financial Regulation, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Virginia | State Corporation Commission, Division of Securities and Retail Franchising | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Washington | Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| West Virginia | State Auditor's Office, Securities Commission | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Wisconsin | Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Securities | Contact details · Attorney general |
| Wyoming | Secretary of State, Compliance Division | Contact details · Attorney general |
| No state matches that search. | ||
Ask us
Unsure if this is a Ponzi? Let us help you figure it out.
Describe what you were offered and what's worrying you. We'll review it and reply with what we see and which agencies to contact. We are not a law firm or a government agency, and we can't investigate or recover money. If money is moving right now, report to the agencies above first.
Don't include passwords, account numbers, Social Security numbers, or wallet recovery phrases. No legitimate helper ever needs them.
Common questions
Do I need proof before I report?
No. Regulators want to hear about facts that worried you, even if you aren't sure it's fraud. Describe what you saw and what you were told, and attach whatever documents you have. Investigators can get bank records and other evidence you can't.
Can I report anonymously?
Yes. The SEC accepts anonymous tips through its online portal. If you want to stay anonymous and also be eligible for a whistleblower award, you must file through a lawyer. Reporting with your contact details lets investigators follow up with you, which often makes a tip more useful.
Does it cost anything to report?
No. Filing with the SEC, CFTC, FBI, FINRA, FTC, or a state regulator is free. Anyone who charges a fee to "file your report" or "recover your funds" is a red flag for a recovery scam.
Should I report to more than one agency?
Yes, that's common and helpful. Agencies share information, and a state regulator may act faster on a local scheme while a federal agency builds a larger case. Use the same facts and timeline in each report.
Will I hear back?
Usually not with details. Investigations are confidential, so agencies rarely update people who file tips. You'll get a confirmation number. Keep it, and add new information to your original report if you learn more.
Sources
- Tips, Complaints and Referrals, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Submit a Tip or Complaint, Commodity Futures Trading Commission
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Federal Bureau of Investigation
- File a Complaint, FINRA
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov, Federal Trade Commission
- Contact Your Regulator, North American Securities Administrators Association
- Whistleblower Program FAQs, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Last reviewed October 19, 2026.