European Union
Scam and fraud reporting in the European Union
If you've been scammed or suspect fraud involving a cross-border transaction in the European Union, the European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net) can help resolve disputes for free. For cybercrime, Europol coordinates across member states while individual reports go through your national police.
If you have been scammed
- 1Save all evidence: emails, website URLs, payment confirmations, delivery tracking, and correspondence.
- 2If the scam involved a seller in another EU country, contact your national European Consumer Centre (ECC) for free cross-border dispute resolution.
- 3Report to your national police and consumer protection authority first, then escalate to EU-level channels if the fraud crosses borders.
- 4Change passwords on any compromised accounts and enable two-factor authentication.
Think it might be a scam?
- 1Search the company or person's name plus "scam" to check for reports from consumers in other EU countries.
- 2Verify any business through the European Business Register or your national commercial register.
- 3Contact the organisation directly using a number from their official website, not the one you were given.
- 4Check Europol's cybercrime alerts for current fraud patterns affecting consumers across Europe.
Where to report fraud
Official reporting channels in European Union
European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net)
Find your national ECC
Free EU-funded service that helps consumers resolve cross-border disputes with sellers in other EU, EEA, or UK countries.
Europol
Europol cybercrime reporting guidance
Europol coordinates cross-border cybercrime investigations. For individual reports, they direct victims to national law enforcement.
European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)
Report EU-related fraud to OLAF
Report fraud involving EU funds, grants, or institutions. Not for consumer scams, but relevant for institutional fraud.
Learn more
Official resources and guides
Scam index
Scams affecting people in European Union
9 scams tracked
fake bank failure news scam
False news reports claim that a major bank is failing or freezing accounts, causing panic and driving victims to phishing sites where they enter banking credentials trying to check their accounts.
Check financial news from reputable sources like Reuters, Bloomberg, or the FDIC at fdic.gov before reacting.
Bank customers
U.S.
fake data breach notification scam
Scammers send fake data breach notification emails impersonating well-known companies, directing recipients to phishing sites where they re-enter credentials or financial data to check if they were affected.
Go directly to the company's official website to check for any breach announcements.
Account holders
U.S.
fake company bankruptcy news scam
False reports about major companies filing for bankruptcy are spread to manipulate stock prices or drive traffic to phishing sites targeting the company's customers.
Verify company financial news through SEC filings at sec.gov/edgar, the company's investor relations page, or established financial media.
Investors
U.S.
Travel booking message hijack scam
A traveler receives a realistic property or booking message that requests off-platform payment, identity verification, or a new deposit.
Keep all communication and payment inside the booking platform.
Travelers
Europe
hidden cancel button subscription scam
A service makes it easy to sign up but deliberately hides or complicates the cancellation process to keep billing active.
Document every step of the cancellation attempt with screenshots.
Online subscribers
U.S.
short-term rental scam
A listing for a short-term rental — often targeting business travelers — takes payment but the property does not exist or is not as described upon arrival.
Book through established platforms that hold payment until check-in is verified.
Business travelers
U.S.
deepfake identity document fraud
Criminals use AI to generate realistic fake identity documents with deepfake photos that pass automated KYC verification systems, enabling account takeover and financial fraud.
Platforms should implement liveness detection requiring users to perform random actions during selfie verification.
Financial institutions
U.S.
trademark registration invoice scam
After filing a trademark, businesses receive fake invoices from unofficial entities demanding payment for trademark registration, monitoring, or publication services.
Only pay trademark fees through the official trademark office website (USPTO.gov in the US) or through your registered attorney.
Small business owners
U.S.
Parking fine payment text scam
A driver receives a text claiming a parking fine is due and must be paid before extra penalties are added.
Search the city's official fine portal instead of using the message.
Drivers
Europe
Other countries