The Federal Trade Commission is the United States' consumer protection agency for unfair or deceptive business practices. It is not a dispute-resolution service. The FTC does not intervene in individual cases, does not order refunds and does not tell a company to change your bill. What it does is collect reports, spot patterns and bring enforcement action that can change how whole industries behave.
What the FTC handles
- Deceptive advertising, fake reviews and hidden fees.
- Fraud and scams, including impersonation and fake tech support.
- Identity theft reports through IdentityTheft.gov.
- Data security and privacy failures by companies.
- The National Do Not Call Registry and unwanted telemarketing.
- Some credit, debt collection and subscription practices.
What it cannot do
The FTC cannot resolve your complaint with a specific company, cannot award compensation and cannot give legal advice. It also does not regulate utilities, telecom service quality or insurance, which sit with state and sector regulators. If you need money back, a state attorney general, a utility commission or a small claims court is the practical route.
When a report is worth filing
File a report when the conduct affects more than your own account, when a company is using a misleading advert or when you have lost money to a scam. Reports are most useful when they are specific: the company name, the website, the dates, the amount, the payment method and any reference numbers. Upload screenshots and receipts if the form allows it.
Reports feed the FTC's Consumer Sentinel database, which is used by law enforcement agencies across the country. A single report rarely produces an immediate result, but a cluster of similar reports can trigger an investigation. That is why the FTC is a long-game route rather than a fix for this month's bill.
Other routes to pair with an FTC report
- Report the same conduct to your state attorney general's consumer protection division.
- Tell your card issuer or bank promptly if you paid by card and did not receive what was promised.
- Use the Do Not Call Registry and report each unwanted call.
- For identity theft, use IdentityTheft.gov to build a recovery plan and get an FTC identity theft report.
The FTC works best alongside a direct complaint to the company. For utility billing, read how to complain to a US utility commission. For telecom service problems, the FCC handles communications-specific complaints.
Contact FTC
Contact details can change. Always confirm on the official page before sending personal information.
Before you escalate
- Complain to the provider first. Keep the date, the agent's name if given, and the complaint reference.
- Ask for a deadlock letter if the provider will not resolve the issue. Some schemes accept a case after a fixed waiting period instead.
- Put the facts in writing. Include account numbers, dates, meter readings or screenshots, the outcome you want and your contact details.
- Keep a copy of everything. Regulators work from documents, not recollections.
Providers in scope
Related guides
United States
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