Frauds and Scams

The Federal Reserve Board regularly monitors fraudulent solicitations and communications that purport to be made with the approval or involvement of the Federal Reserve or Federal Reserve officials. These scams often take the form of e-mail messages that seek to obtain personal information that is later used to commit fraud or theft.

The Federal Reserve does not communicate directly with consumers. Individuals should be suspect of any e-mail message that claims to be from the Federal Reserve or references a Federal Reserve product or service. Recipients should not click on any links contained in these types of e-mails and should delete them immediately.

In general, consumers should verify the legitimacy of potential service providers before providing personal financial information or entering into a business transaction. Consumers who suspect that their personal financial information has been compromised should contact their financial institution and local law enforcement officials. To file a complaint about a suspected fraudulent e-mail, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center at: www.ic3.gov.

Information about specific scams is available on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's website at: http://www.ny.frb.org/banking/frscams.html

To learn more about how to guard against fraud or scams visit the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Help Center.