WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Trade Commission or FTC has launched a new fraud reporting platform, using which, consumers can easily report fraud and all other consumer issues directly to the regulator.
In a statement, the FTC said its new website, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, will provide a streamlined and user-friendly way to submit reports about scams, frauds, and bad business practices. It will also offer advice for consumers filing complaints on what to do next based on their reports.
The FTC has also launched a new video explaining how the site works.
For long, the agency has urged consumers to report these issues to the FTC, whether or not they lost money to the fraud. The new site takes the place of the FTC Complaint Assistant. The site is also in Spanish at ReporteFraude.ftc.gov.
Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, 'Every time you report scams or bad business practices to the FTC, you're helping to protect your community. With ReportFraud.ftc.gov, it's quicker and easier than ever to share your story, and each report helps the FTC, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, fight fraud.'
The news comes as the agency reported a significant rise in number of complaints about people losing money to scams on social media. According to FTC's latest data, people lost more than $117 million on social media scams in the first half of this year, compared to a loss of $134 million for the entire 2019.
In July, the agency had said it received more than 34,000 complaints from consumers related to online shopping in April and May.
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