How to report a scam in North Carolina

Scammed? Call your bank or card company first. Calling quickly may improve the chance of stopping a payment, but recovery isn't guaranteed. Then use the list below.

Who to report to in North Carolina

• NC Department of Justice, Consumer Protection Division. Call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (1-877-566-7226), or file a complaint online. Scam texts and robocalls can be reported at ncdoj.gov/report-robocalls.
• NC Secretary of State, Securities Division. For investment and crypto offers. Investor hotline: 800-688-4507. Securities Division.
• NC Department of Insurance, Criminal Investigations. For insurance fraud, like fake roofers who file false claims. Report insurance fraud.
• NC State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). The SBI handles major state crimes. ncsbi.gov. For most scams, also file a report with your local police or sheriff.
• Adult Protective Services. In North Carolina, APS is run by each county's department of social services. NC DHHS APS page.

Phone numbers and links last verified Oct. 20, 2026. Check the agency's official contact page before calling.

Federal places to report (all states)

• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov for most scams.
• FBI IC3: ic3.gov for online scams, crypto, and email payment scams.
• Identity theft: IdentityTheft.gov gives you a recovery plan.

North Carolina scam numbers

FBI, 2025. North Carolinians filed 25,940 complaints with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 9th most in the country. Reported losses were $431,561,716, 12th most. Per person, the state ranked 34th, with 231.6 complaints per 100,000 people. (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, state data appendix)

Crypto, 2025. There were 4,340 crypto complaints from North Carolina, with $229,649,863 in reported losses. That's more than half of all reported IC3 losses in the state. (Same FBI report.)

Older adults, 2025. People 60 and older in North Carolina filed 5,942 IC3 complaints, 9th most in the country, and reported $164,214,173 in losses. (Same FBI report.)

FTC, 2024. North Carolina had 144,909 fraud and other reports to the FTC. Reported fraud losses were $276.8 million, with a median (middle) loss of $407. The state ranked 15th of 50 for reports per 100,000 people (1,369). It also had 27,466 identity theft reports, ranking 19th. The top three report types were credit bureaus (25%), identity theft (16%), and imposter scams (12%). (FTC, Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024)

These numbers only count people who reported. Many people don't, so real losses are likely higher. FTC figures come from unverified consumer reports, not a survey.

Scams North Carolina officials are warning about

• Fake DMV texts. In January 2026, the Attorney General warned about texts that claim you owe a traffic ticket and link to a fake ".gov" site. NCDMV says it will never ask for payment by text. (NCDOJ, Jan. 21, 2026)
• Jury duty scams. In June 2026, the Attorney General and the Wake County Sheriff warned about callers who pose as deputies and threaten arrest over "missed jury duty." Some use real deputies' names. (NCDOJ, June 12, 2026)
• Investment scams on social media. The Attorney General has warned about fake investment offers on Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram. (NCDOJ warning)
• Job scams. The Attorney General and the Labor Commissioner warned about fake job offers. (NCDOJ warning)

What to do right now

1. Hang up or stop replying. Government agencies generally don't demand payment by phone or text.
2. Call your bank or card company and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed.
3. Change passwords on any account the scammer touched, and turn on two-step login.
4. Save proof: screenshots, texts, emails, call logs, receipts, and phone numbers.
5. Report it to the state agency listed above, plus the FTC or IC3.
6. Beware of "recovery" offers. A request for a fee to get your money back is a common warning sign of a recovery scam.

Nearby states

• How to report a scam in Georgia
• How to report a scam in Alabama
• How to report a scam in Texas

Learn more

• How to report a scam anywhere in the U.S.
• How a $25 million email payment scam worked
• The fake closing email that cost $1.3 million

Last checked October 2026. Phone numbers and links come from each agency's official website. Agencies change them, so check the agency's site if something doesn't work. FraudMeNot is an independent publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting for any government agency listed here. Links go to official sites. We can't take reports or get your money back. General education only, not legal, financial, tax or security advice. No guarantee. Consult a qualified professional. Stories may be dramatized or composite; see each label. See our disclaimer. Found an error? Tell us.