How to Report Cybercrime in Arizona (and Get Your Money Back)

Quick answer: Report at the federal level to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and in Arizona file a consumer complaint with the Arizona Attorney General (consumer-complaint.azag.gov or 602-542-5763) plus a report with your local police department or the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Before you do anything else, call your bank or card issuer now to try to freeze, recall, or dispute the transfer. Speed is the single biggest factor in whether the money can be recovered.

What to do in 3 steps

1. Call your bank or card issuer immediately. Tell them the transaction was fraud and ask them to freeze the account, stop or recall the payment, and open a dispute. If the money left in the last day or two there is a real chance of clawing it back, so do this before filing anything else. Write down the time you called and the name of the representative.
2. File the federal reports. Report to the FBI IC3 at ic3.gov with every detail you have (account numbers the money went to, wallet addresses, emails, phone numbers, timestamps). Also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If your personal information or identity was stolen or misused, start a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov. Save the confirmation numbers.
3. File in Arizona. Submit a consumer complaint to the Arizona Attorney General online at consumer-complaint.azag.gov or by phone at 602-542-5763 (Tucson: 520-628-6648), and file a report with your local police department or the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Ask for a copy of the police report and the report number; your bank and insurer will often require it.

How recovery actually works

There is no government fund that simply refunds scam losses in the United States, so recovery runs on two tracks. The first is the bank track: when you report quickly, the FBI IC3 Recovery Asset Team can trigger its Financial Fraud Kill Chain, working with receiving banks to freeze fraudulent transfers before the money is withdrawn or moved offshore. This is most effective within roughly 72 hours, which is why the first phone call to your own bank and the IC3 filing should happen the same day. The second is the consumer-protection track: if the charge was unauthorized, Regulation E and the Fair Credit Billing Act require your bank or card issuer to investigate and, in most cases, restore the funds once you dispute in writing within the required windows. The Arizona Attorney General does not act as your personal lawyer or guarantee a refund, but it logs the complaint, can mediate with businesses, and uses patterns across complaints to bring enforcement actions against fraudulent operators. The honest takeaway: money comes back through the banks and your federal dispute rights, and your speed and documentation decide the outcome.

What to have ready

• The dates and times of every transaction, and the exact dollar amounts.
• Account, card, or wallet details for both your account and the account the money went to.
• Names, emails, phone numbers, websites, and social-media handles used by the scammer.
• Screenshots of messages, payment confirmations, receipts, and any contracts or invoices.
• Your bank's fraud-report reference and the name of the representative you spoke with.
• Your IC3 and FTC confirmation numbers and your local police or DPS report number.

Frequently asked questions

Do I report to the FBI or to Arizona police? Both. The federal IC3 and FTC reports feed national investigations and the bank-freeze process, while the Arizona Attorney General complaint and a local police or DPS report create the official local record you may need for your bank, your insurer, or any court action. They serve different purposes, so file all of them.

How fast do I have to act to get my money back? As fast as possible, ideally the same day. For unauthorized electronic transfers, notifying your bank within 2 business days caps your liability at $50; waiting longer can raise it to $500 or more. For wire and push payments, freezing the funds is usually only possible in the first few days before the money is moved.

The scammer is overseas. Is it pointless to report? No. Many scams route money through US accounts first, which is exactly where the IC3 kill chain and your bank can intervene. Reporting also builds the pattern evidence the Arizona Attorney General and the FBI need, and it can protect the next victim even when your own recovery is not guaranteed.

Sources

• Arizona Attorney General: File a Consumer Complaint
• Arizona Attorney General: Frauds and Scams
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• FTC ReportFraud
• FTC IdentityTheft.gov
• FBI IC3 2024 Internet Crime Report (state data)

For step-by-step reporting and recovery guides covering other countries, see our cybercrime help hub.