Use this directory to match a job-application problem with the government agency most likely to handle that type of issue. Many incidents can appropriately be reported to more than one agency.
Job fraud, deception and scams
Federal Trade Commission — ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Use for: fake jobs, fake recruiters, deceptive application practices, misleading representations, job-related payment scams, suspicious data collection and other potentially deceptive business practices.
Submit: job and employer represented, URLs, screenshots, recruiter contact information, dates, payment requests, what information was collected and any financial loss.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — IC3
Use for: online employer impersonation, cloned career sites, phishing, account compromise, fraudulent job listings, fake recruiters, cyber-enabled theft, cryptocurrency or wire fraud.
Submit: domains, URLs, usernames, email addresses, full email headers when available, phone numbers, payment information, wallet addresses, dates, dollar losses and copies of fraudulent offers or communications.
State Attorney General / Consumer Protection Office
Use for: scams, fraud, deceptive business practices and state consumer-protection issues. Jurisdiction varies by state.
Submit: concise chronology, company or website involved, URLs, screenshots, communications, money lost, steps already taken and the resolution requested.
Employer impersonation and copied jobs
If a real employer’s name, logo, recruiter identity or job is being used in a suspicious online scheme, preserve both the authoritative employer posting and the unauthorized or questionable version.
FTC
Report deceptive representations, fake recruiting activity and scams involving an employer’s identity.
FBI IC3
Report cyber-enabled impersonation, cloned websites, phishing, fraudulent listings and related financial or identity crime.
State Consumer Protection Office
State consumer agencies may address deceptive practices or refer matters to another authority.
Identity theft, Social Security numbers and applicant privacy
IdentityTheft.gov — Federal Trade Commission
Use when: personal information was actually exposed or misused, including Social Security number, driver’s-license information, banking information or other identity data.
Submit: what information was compromised, how it happened, dates, accounts affected and known misuse. The service can generate an Identity Theft Report and personalized recovery plan.
Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General
Use for: suspected misuse of a Social Security number or fraud involving Social Security.
Submit: facts showing the SSN may be in use, suspicious communications, dates and any related records. Do not publish your SSN in screenshots or public complaints.
Internal Revenue Service
Use when: tax records or government notices indicate someone may have used your identity or Social Security number for employment.
Submit/retain: IRS notices, unknown wage records, Social Security earnings records and identity-theft documentation.
State Privacy Regulator or Attorney General
Use when: an application site may have collected, retained, disclosed or used applicant personal information in a way that implicates state privacy law. Rights and jurisdiction vary by state.
Submit: privacy notice, screenshots of the data request, company/domain, dates, requests you made to the business and its response.
Find your state consumer office · California Privacy Protection Agency complaint form
Employment background reports and algorithmic screening
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Use for: problems involving third-party employment background reports, worker dossiers or certain algorithmic scores that may be consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Preserve: the report, name of the screening company, employer notices, authorization/disclosure forms, adverse-action notices, dispute correspondence and the specific inaccurate information.
Application and hiring rights
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Use for: alleged discrimination in recruiting, applications or hiring based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age 40 or older, disability, genetic information or retaliation.
Submit: employer information, job, dates, application/interview records, communications, the action complained of and why you believe it was discriminatory.
Deadline warning: EEOC charges generally must be filed within 180 days, with the period extended to 300 days in some jurisdictions.
U.S. Department of Justice — Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
Use for: certain citizenship-status discrimination, national-origin discrimination, unfair I-9 documentary practices, recruitment/referral discrimination and retaliation covered by the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Submit: job and employer information, dates, communications, forms or document requests and supporting records.
Deadline warning: IER states that charges must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination or retaliation.
U.S. Department of Labor — Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Use for: employment discrimination complaints involving covered federal contractors or subcontractors.
Submit: employer, job, dates, protected basis, what occurred and supporting application or hiring records.
Deadline warning: OFCCP states that complaints must generally be filed within 300 calendar days of the alleged action.
U.S. Department of Labor — Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (USERRA)
Use for: employment rights issues involving military service or obligations covered by USERRA, including certain hiring and reemployment issues.
Submit: employer information, military-service facts, job/application records, dates and relevant communications.
National Labor Relations Board
Use when appropriate for: certain unfair labor practices involving refusal to hire or other discrimination because of union or protected labor activity. Coverage depends on the facts and employer.
Submit: employer, job, dates, statements or communications, witnesses and facts linking the hiring action to protected activity.
Recruiting calls, texts, spoofing and U.S. Mail
Federal Communications Commission
Use for: unwanted recruiting calls or texts, robotexts, robocalls and telephone-number spoofing. Use the FTC or IC3 as well when the communications are part of a fraud scheme.
Submit: calling/texting number, your number if relevant, dates and times, screenshots, message content and whether the number appeared spoofed.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Use for: fake job offers, fraudulent checks, employment-payment schemes or other job fraud in which the U.S. Mail was used.
Submit: envelopes, labels, postmarks, letters, checks, addresses, dates, payment demands and communications. Preserve originals.
What a strong complaint contains
Identify the represented employer and job
Include title, location, job ID if available and the official employer posting when known.
Describe the application path
List the page where you found the job, the Apply URL, redirects and final destination.
State exactly what happened
Use dates, quotes, screenshots and objective facts. Separate what you observed from what you suspect.
Explain the harm
Examples include money lost, identity information exposed, application not received, discriminatory treatment, inaccurate background information or employer impersonation.
Attach the strongest evidence
Use original files and unedited screenshots where possible. Remove unnecessary sensitive information from copies while preserving originals securely.
Keep a reporting log
| Record | What to save |
|---|---|
| Agency | Name of agency and reporting channel used. |
| Date filed | Date and time the complaint was submitted. |
| Reference number | Complaint, incident, charge or confirmation number. |
| Submission copy | PDF, screenshot or copy of what you submitted. |
| Evidence sent | List of attachments or documents included. |
| Follow-up | Agency response, requests for information and important deadlines. |