Back to Blog
evidence-reporting

What to Include in a Fraud Report

November 27, 2025
fraud reportingevidencedocumentation

What to Include in a Fraud Report

Complete reports help authorities act. Use our Evidence Preservation Toolkit for documentation guidance.

Essential Information

Your Information

  • Full name and contact details
  • Account numbers (if applicable)
  • Relationship to incident

Scammer Information

  • Names or aliases used
  • Phone numbers and email addresses
  • Social media profiles
  • Website URLs
  • Physical addresses (if any)

Incident Details

  • Date and time of contact
  • How you were contacted
  • What was promised or claimed
  • What you were asked to do
  • Amount of money involved

Evidence

  • Screenshots and photos
  • Email and text message records
  • Transaction receipts
  • Call logs
  • Voicemails
  • Social media messages

Timeline

  • First contact
  • Subsequent communications
  • When money was sent
  • When you realized it was a scam
  • When you reported it

Impact

  • Financial losses
  • Identity theft concerns
  • Emotional distress
  • Time spent resolving

Where to Report

  • Local police
  • FBI IC3 (ic3.gov)
  • FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov)
  • State Attorney General
  • Better Business Bureau
  • Platform where scam occurred

Visit Scam Text Analyzer, Voice Scam Risk, and Identity Safety Guide.

Report AI Fraud to StopAiFraud.com →

Visit Safety Tools for more resources.

🛡️ Support the SAF Mission

These free tools are powered by community support. Help us protect more people from AI scams—every donation funds educational materials, fraud detection tools, and awareness programs.

Donate Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is preserving scam evidence important?

A: Proper evidence preservation helps law enforcement investigate fraud, assists banks in recovering funds, enables platforms to remove scammers, supports legal proceedings, and protects future victims by documenting criminal patterns. Well-documented evidence significantly improves the chances of successful fraud investigations and prosecutions.

Q: What evidence should I save?

A: Save all text messages, emails, call logs, voicemails, screenshots of social media profiles and conversations, website URLs, financial transaction receipts, bank statements, gift card receipts with numbers, cryptocurrency transaction IDs, and any other relevant communications or documents. Keep everything in original form without editing or modifying.

Q: How should I store fraud evidence?

A: Keep original files unchanged. Create multiple backups stored in different locations including cloud storage and external drives. Organize evidence chronologically with clear labels. Include dates, times, and context notes. Take full screenshots that show timestamps and sender information. Export messages and emails in original formats. Document your own timeline of events and actions taken.

Stay Updated on AI Fraud

Get weekly alerts and insights delivered to your inbox.

Subscribe to Newsletter