How and where to report cybercrime: What you need to know

Cybercrime reporting mechanisms vary across the globe, with each country offering different methods for citizens to report cybercrime, including online fraud, identity theft, and other cyber-related offenses.

Victims are usually instructed to complete an online form that asks for personal details, a description of the crime, and any collected evidence.

While online reporting forms are commonly used, in certain situations, it may be more effective to visit a local police station and report the crime in person, especially for large-scale incidents.

This article provides examples from several countries on how reporting cybercrime works.

USA – Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) serves as a central hub for individuals to report cybercrimes, such as online fraud, identity theft, and other internet-related offenses. It is run by the FBI, the lead federal agency for investigating crime.

Any person who believes that they are being affected by a cyber-enabled crime may file a complaint with the IC3, including citizens of other countries who may be reporting a subject in another country.

Once you are on their website, click on the “file a complaint” link, which will direct you to the online complaint form.

To complete the complaint form, you’ll need to provide details about:

• Your contact information (name, email, phone number).
• Information about the crime (dates, locations, descriptions).
• Any suspect information, if known.
• Details about how you were affected (financial loss, identity theft,).

Once you submit a complaint to the IC3, an analyst will review the information and forward it to law enforcement and relevant partner agencies as needed.

The IC3 does not conduct investigations and cannot provide the status of your complaint. The decision to investigate and prosecute rests with the agencies that receive the information.

UK – Action Fraud

If you are living in the England, Wales or Northern Ireland and have been, or suspect you may have been, a victim of some form of cyber attack, you can report it via Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting center for fraud and cybercrime. For fraud committed in Scotland, you should report it directly to Police Scotland.

After you’ve reported something to Action Fraud, the report will be sent to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which is part of the City of London police, and they’ll decide what to do next.

To fill out the reporting form, you will need to provide:

• Your personal information (name and contact details)
• A detailed description of the crime
• Any evidence you have collected

If the NFIB determines that your report contains sufficient information for a police investigation, they will forward it to the local police force in the area where the crime occurred. That police force will look at the information and decide whether to investigate the case. They should tell you what they’re going to do.

Within 28 days of submitting your report (or your most recent update), you’ll be informed of any actions the NFIB has taken, regardless of whether they decide to forward your report to the local police for investigation.

India – National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) is an official online platform launched by the Government of India to facilitate the reporting of cyber crimes across the country. The portal is managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).

The portal covers offenses such as hacking, identity theft, online fraud, and cyber bullying. Users can lodge complaints online, upload relevant evidence, and track the progress of their cases.

To file a report, you must register or log in and then select the type of cybercrime you wish to report. There are 2 categories to select:

• Women/child related crimes
• Other cyber crimes

Once you selected the the appropriate category, the next step is to complete the complaint form, where you must provide:

• Personal information (name, address,contact information)
• Incident details (specific information about the incident)
• Evidence upload (if you have any supporting documents or screenshots, upload them as evidence)

After clicking “submit” to complete the filing process, you will receive an acknowledgment or a unique complaint ID, which can be used to check the status of your report on the portal.

Complaints reported on this portal are dealt by law enforcement agencies/ police based on the information available in the complaints.

Australia – Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC)

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) is the Australian Government’s lead agency in cybersecurity, providing guidance and support for both individuals and businesses in protecting themselves against cyber threats. It is a part of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which is responsible for national security and defense-related cyber activities.

The ACSC provides an online platform called ReportCyber, which is the primary method for reporting cybercrime incidents. On the platform select the category that best matches the cybercrime you are reporting (e.g., malware, phishing, identity theft).

Complete the report form with specific information about the incident, including:

• A detailed description of the event
• Any impact experienced (financial, data loss)
• Supporting evidence (screenshots, emails, logs)

The information should always be reviewed for accuracy before submitting the report to the ACSC.

After submitting your report, you will receive a confirmation email containing a reference number, which will enable you to track the status of your case.

Depending on the nature of the crime, the ACSC may provide you with advice on how to protect yourself or recover from the incident.

Canada – Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC)

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is a national police service that gathers intelligence on fraud across Canada and assists Police of Jurisdiction with enforcement and prevention efforts.

To report fraud, you can choose from the following methods:

• Online reporting
• Phone reporting

For online reporting, you can access the CAFC’s system through one of the following options:

• GC Key (user ID/password)
• Government Sign-In through Verified.Me

When submitting your online report, provide your personal information, including your name, email, and phone number, for follow-up if needed. Describe the incident details, specifying the type of fraud, a detailed description of the crime, and any suspicious contacts or identifiers involved. If there were any financial losses, include transaction information, where applicable. Additionally, you can upload supporting documents such as screenshots, emails, or other evidence to assist CAFC in assessing the case.

After reviewing your information for accuracy, submit the report. Be sure to save the provided reference number for any future follow-up.

EU

Within the EU, each member country has established its own system for reporting cybercrime. In member states without a dedicated online option, it is recommended that you visit your local police station to file a complaint.

For instance, in Germany, the police forces of the federal states are primarily responsible for prosecuting and combating cybercrime. Each state has its own method for handling reports, either through local police or online reporting portals. However, serious or large-scale cyber incidents should be reported directly to the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA), regardless of the state in which the incident occurred.

Effective cybercrime reporting is crucial for authorities to investigate and combat online criminal activities.