Scammers may try to use the internet to steal your personal information or trick you into sending them money. Learn how to stay safe online. Report Cyber Crime If you believe you're a victim of an internet-related crime, report it to these government authorities: The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) takes internet-related criminal complaints. After receiving a complaint, IC3 sends it to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement. In addition to filing an IC3 complaint, contact your credit card company. Let them know about unauthorized charges or if you think a scammer stole your credit card number. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shares consumer complaints and online scams with all levels of law enforcement. While the FTC can’t resolve individual complaints, it can tell you the next steps to take. EConsumer.gov accepts complaints about online shopping and e-commerce transactions with foreign companies. The Department of Justice (DOJ) can show you where to report internet or intellectual property crimes. How to Protect Yourself Online These tips can help you keep your computer and personal information safe when going online: Do Learn how to spot common scams and fraud. Learn the warning signs of internet fraud, phishing, and other online scams. Keep your computer software updated. Download the latest versions of your operating system, web browsers, and apps. Talk to your kids about being safe and responsible online. Find out how you can protect your kids online by teaching them about the risks. Learn the basics of cyber security. Find out what to do during and after cyber attacks and what you can do beforehand to prevent them. Don’t Don’t use the same passwords for multiple accounts. Try to make your passwords unpredictable and avoid using names, dates, or common words. Never share your passwords with anyone you don’t trust. Don’t give out personal information over unencrypted websites. Only trust encrypted sites that begin with “https” (the “s” means they’re secure). They convert your information into a code that prevents exposure to potential scammers.