How to report a scam in Puerto Rico

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 Puerto Rico

• Departamento de Asuntos del Consumidor (DACO). Puerto Rico's consumer affairs department. File a complaint (querella) or a tip (confidencia) through DACO's online services, or call 787-722-7555. The site and forms are in Spanish.
• Your local police. File a report with the Negociado de la Policía de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Police Bureau). Your bank may ask for it.

In Spanish (en español): the FTC takes fraud reports at ReporteFraude.ftc.gov, and its identity theft recovery site is RobodeIdentidad.gov.

Phone numbers and links last verified Oct. 21, 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.

Puerto Rico scam numbers

FBI, 2025. Puerto Rico residents reported 4,108 internet crimes to the FBI's IC3, 40th of the states and territories in the report. Reported losses were $44,266,380, 48th. That's 129.0 complaints per 100,000 people, 52nd per person. (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, state data appendix)

Crypto, 2025. Puerto Rico residents filed 903 crypto complaints with reported losses of $24,234,782. (According to the FBI.)

Older adults, 2025. Puerto Rico residents age 60 or older filed 351 complaints and reported losses of $8,167,452. (According to the FBI.)

FTC, 2024. Puerto Rico had 12,252 fraud and other reports to the FTC. Reported fraud losses were $14.5 million, and the median (middle) loss was $609. That's 376 reports per 100,000 people. The FTC lists Puerto Rico but doesn't rank it with the 50 states. It also had 1,649 identity theft reports (not ranked). The top three report types were credit bureaus (54%), identity theft (12%), and imposter scams (8%). (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 Puerto Rico officials are warning about

• Fake tax relief payment messages. In May 2026, as it got ready to pay the Alivio Contributivo, the Departamento de Hacienda (Puerto Rico Treasury) warned people to watch for fraud. It said the payment needs no application, and it will never ask for account numbers or private information by email, text, social media, or direct message. It said to add a bank account only through the official link inside SURI. (Hacienda press release, May 12, 2026)
• Fake court dates over traffic fines. In June 2026, the Poder Judicial (Puerto Rico's courts) warned about texts and emails with a link to "schedule" a court hearing over unpaid traffic fines. The messages threaten arrest or wage garnishment. The courts say this is fraud. (Poder Judicial press release, June 15, 2026)

What to do right now

1. Stop all contact. Don't click links in texts or emails about court dates, traffic fines, or tax relief payments.
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 U.S. Virgin Islands
• How to report a scam in Florida

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.