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Craigslist, eBay and their ilk have algorythms and spam filters to catch obvious scams and deal with repeat offenders, but many times it takes a human brain to stop the scammers. Here's how you can help stop the ripoffs.
== Reporting Fraud on Common Websites ===
The process of reporting fraud varies depending on the particular website where you were scammed, but in the end most sites will band the offending user, close their account and other users of the site won't fall victim to the same scam.
Here's our guide to reporting fraud on some of the web's most popular sites.
=== Craigslist ===
The most anything-goes of web classifieds, Craigslist can be a great resource, but it can also seem at times like nothing but a scam publishing system.
There are several types of fraud on Craigslist and each should be dealt with a bit differently. The first step in reporting fraud is to use the flagging tools in the upper right corner of your screen. Here you'll find options for marking a post as "prohibited" or "spam."
If you suspect that an item posted for sale on craigslist is part of a more serious scam than just spamming the listings, you can e-mail the details to abuse@craigslist.org. Be sure to include the URL (or 10-digit post ID number) in your message.
=== Ebay ===
Reporting fraud on eBay takes a bit of work, in part because there are a number of different kinds of potential fraud on eBay. If your problem is with a particular item that you think is part of a scam, just use the "Report item” link on each page.
If you've been scammed and want to report the seller for a violation of eBay policy, head to the [http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/index.html eBay security center] (there's a link at the very bottom of every page).
Also be sure to read through exactly what [http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/report-trading.html eBay will and will not deal with] when it comes to fraud.
=== Paypal ===
Paypal offers a variety of fraud reporting tools ranging from reporting phishing websites to disputing transactions. You'll find links to just about every situation on the [https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside PayPal security page]
== The Federal Trade Commimission ==
If you've ever been scammed, had your identity stolen or fallen prey to online fraud the FTC wants to hear about it. Although the FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints, it does use the data to track patterns of wrong-doing and can help with investigations and prosecutions.
To report fraud to the FTC, just head to the [https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ FTC Complaint Assistant] site and fill out the information online. The form will walk you through the basics of reporting your complaint.
Sadly, based on our experience the FTC site could use some interface improvements -- the form is bit wonky, sometimes automatically taking you to the next page, other times requiring a button press.
Also, found this video if you want to use it:
http://ftc.gov/multimedia/video/scam-watch/file-a-complaint.shtm
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