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How to Report Phishing

Your reports help authorities track down cybercriminals and protect others

Why Your Report Matters

  • Helps law enforcement track and prosecute cybercriminals
  • Enables companies to take down phishing websites faster
  • Improves spam filters and email security for everyone
  • Provides data for cybersecurity threat intelligence
  • May help recover stolen funds in BEC cases
  • Protects others from falling victim to the same attack
  • Required for insurance claims and legal proceedings
  • Helps identify patterns in large-scale phishing campaigns

Received Phishing at Work?

CRITICAL

Contact IT/Security Team Immediately

Your company's incident response team needs to know right away

HIGH

Preserve All Evidence

Don't delete the email - IT needs to analyze it

HIGH

Follow Company Incident Response Procedures

Your organization likely has specific reporting protocols

MEDIUM

Report to External Authorities

IT team will coordinate with FBI/law enforcement if needed

Step-by-Step Reporting Guide

1

Forward as Attachment (NOT as Forwarded Email)

This preserves all headers for investigation

  • In most email clients: Create a new email
  • Drag the phishing email into the new message as an attachment
  • Or use 'Forward as Attachment' if your client has this option
  • Gmail: Click the 3 dots menu → 'Forward as attachment'
  • Outlook: Click 'More' → 'Forward as attachment'
2

Include Key Information

Help investigators by providing context

  • Date and time you received the email
  • What actions you took (clicked link, downloaded file, replied, etc.)
  • Any financial loss or compromised accounts
  • Screenshots of the phishing email
  • Any URLs or phone numbers from the email
  • The full email headers (if possible)
3

Report to Multiple Channels

Each organization plays a different role

  • Always report to FBI IC3 if there was financial loss
  • Forward to APWG to help track global campaigns
  • Forward to the impersonated company
  • Report to your email provider using their built-in tool
  • Forward to FTC for consumer fraud tracking
4

Do NOT Reply to the Phishing Email

Never engage with attackers

  • Don't click 'unsubscribe' - confirms your email is active
  • Don't reply with angry messages - waste of time
  • Don't try to 'hack them back' - could be illegal
  • Simply report and delete

U.S. Federal Authorities

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

HIGH PRIORITY

Primary federal agency for internet crime including BEC, ransomware, and wire fraud

When to report: Any phishing involving financial loss, BEC/CEO fraud, ransomware, or wire transfer requests

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

HIGH PRIORITY

Consumer protection agency - tracks fraud trends and patterns

When to report: Identity theft, consumer fraud, deceptive business practices

U.S. Secret Service (USSS)

Investigates financial crimes and cyber-enabled fraud

Local USSS field office

When to report: Large-scale financial fraud, counterfeit currency phishing, payment card fraud

Industry Organizations

Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG)

HIGH PRIORITY

Global industry association that shares phishing intelligence

When to report: All phishing emails - helps track global phishing campaigns

U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)

National cybersecurity coordination center

When to report: Critical infrastructure targeting, large-scale attacks, advanced persistent threats

Impersonated Companies

PayPal

Forward phishing emails pretending to be from PayPal

Amazon

Forward phishing emails pretending to be from Amazon

Apple

Forward phishing emails pretending to be from Apple

Microsoft

Forward phishing emails pretending to be from Microsoft/Office 365

Google/Gmail

Forward phishing emails pretending to be from Google

IRS

Forward tax-related phishing emails

Bank/Financial Institution

Check your bank's website for their specific phishing/fraud reporting address

Email Provider & Hosting

Your Email Provider

Report phishing to your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) using their built-in 'Report Phishing' button

When to report: All phishing emails - helps improve spam filters

Sender's Email Provider/Web Host

Look up the sender's domain ownership and report abuse to their hosting provider

abuse@[provider].com

When to report: Helps get phishing sites taken down faster

Get Automated Analysis Before Reporting

Forward suspicious emails to PhishCheck for instant AI-powered analysis with detailed verdict, confidence score, and security recommendations. Then use our report to file with authorities.

Quick Reference: Most Important Reports

Any Financial Loss or BEC:

FBI IC3: ic3.gov

All Phishing (Helps Everyone):

APWG: reportphishing@apwg.org