Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Consumer Response Center
10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90024
877/382-4357 toll free- to file a complaint
310/824-4343 Western Region
202/326-2100 Washington, DC
www.ftc.gov
Online consumer complaint form
email for consumer response center: crc [at] ftc [dot] gov
email with "spam" complaints: uce [at] ftc [dot] gov
Regulates a multitude of business practices and administers consumer protection laws. Areas of jurisdiction include: false advertising (including the internet), deceptive labeling, debt collectors, warranties of nationally distributed products, state-chartered banks and credit unions, credit card companies, credit reporting agencies, and mail order companies. The FTC does not handle individual complaints, but if it gets enough accusations about a particular company or practice, it will investigate. Write, call, or use the FTC's website to receive a complaint form.

The Federal Trade Commission warns that junk e-mail isn't just a nuisance. Spam often includes scams. Here are the FTC's "dirty dozen" e-mail scams.

1. "Business opportunities" to make money with little effort or cash outlay are usually illegal pyramid schemes.

2. Offers to sell lists of e-mail addresses or software to generate junk mail may result in violating the terms of service of most Internet service providers and in some cases you may unwittingly violate state laws.

3. Chain letters involving money are illegal. The letter may even claim that the scheme has been approved by the government. Don't believe it.

4. Work-at-home schemes usually cost more than anyone ever makes.

5. Health and diet scams use phrases such as "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "exclusive product," "secret formula" and "ancient ingredient" to prey on the gullible and desperate.

6. Trendy get-rich-quick schemes like foreign currency exchange obscure the fact that if they really were so easy, everyone would be rich.

7. Free goods offered to fee-paying members of "clubs" are really another variation on the pyramid scheme.

8. Fraudulent investments, promising high rates of return with no risk, sometimes known as a Ponzi scheme. They're good for the promoter, but not for the investor.

9. Kits to descramble cable TV probably won't work and if they did, stealing service from a cable television company is illegal.

10. Guaranteed loans or credit, on easy terms, are generally useless lists of lenders or pyramid schemes that collapse.

11. Credit repair scams offer to erase negative information from your credit file but can't deliver.

12. Vacation prize promotions are usually of poor quality, require hidden fees or have restrictions that are difficult to meet