Cross-border fraud is a serious problem – and it appears to be growing. For example, consumers in the U.S. and other countries lose billions of dollars each year to telemarketers operating from “boiler rooms” across the border who pitch bogus products, services and investments. They also lose money to Internet scam artists who operate anonymously from places outside the U.S. The most common cross-border frauds pushed by telemarketers, spam emailers or misleading advertisements involve phony prize promotions, foreign lottery schemes, advance-fee loan rip-offs, travel offer scams, and unnecessary credit card loss “protection.”

This website has information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid cross-border fraud. You also can review examples of the Federal Trade Commission’s recent law enforcement actions against cross-border scam artists, and learn how the agency is working with law enforcement agencies in other countries to combat this multi-billion dollar problem.

In the consumer information section of this site, you’ll find tips on how to avoid cross-border fraud. In the business information section, check out the colorful poster, “Foreign Lotteries: The Games You Can’t Win.” If you are a legitimate lottery vendor, you can print and display the poster to help your customers avoid this common scam.

If you would like more information about cross-border e-commerce, or you would like to file a complaint about cross-border e-commerce, visit www.econsumer.gov, a website created by 17 international law enforcement agencies.