Reporting spam is useful only if the recipient of your report can analyze the full headers of the spam email you received. If you don't know how to show full headers of an email in the email client or web mail application you are using, you can find instructions for a large number of programs and applications on this helpful page: How to Get Full Headers in Your Software. (The WHO@ site has more helpful information you may want to look at.)
Reporting addresses are organized by type of spam.
Note that country is specified only when that is part of the criteria for reporting to the email address given; the country code is mentioned in the same column: if a spam contains a phone number, that makes it easier to recognize which country it relates to (some countries share a country code). If no country is mentioned, origin of spam and origin of reporter don't play a role in reporting. When a web site has content in English those pages are referenced here.
Some organizations prefer reporting through a web-based form or provide no other mechanism; with a few exceptions you'll find them mentioned here only if they also have an email address for reporting spam.
| Organization | Email address | Country code |
Criteria | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTC | spam@uce.gov | (USA) 1 |
Reporting not limited to USA: The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints
into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to
hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies worldwide. See also: |
|
| Habeas | reports@habeas.com | Spam you've received that contains the Habeas Warrant Mark. (These are special headers added to the mail.) | There is also a reporting form. If you use this email address to report, you'll get a response from Habeas. If you report via SpamCop, Habeas will automatically come up as "Internal spamcop handling: (habeas) (Notes)" (make sure the checkbox is checked); SpamCop makes sure the report is forwarded to Habeas via an internal mechanism. |
|
| ACA Consumer Information: SPAM | Australianspammers@aca.gov.au | Australia 61 |
The ACA's immediate focus is on spam of Australian origin. If you believe the spam is Australian in origin you can report to this address. | For information only (no reports): antispamenquiries@aca.gov.au; see the web page first. |
| ACA Consumer Information: SPAM | reportingspam@aca.gov.au | Australia 61 |
If you are Australian or live in Australia you can report spam you receive to this address (but use the address above if the spam is Australian in origin). | For information only (no reports): antispamenquiries@aca.gov.au; see the web page first. |
| Forbrugerombudsmanden (Net-tjek) | spam@fs.dk | Denmark 45 |
All unsollicited commercial email (forward or send as attachment); include a short background of your complaint; and your name, address and email address. | You won't receive a confirmation of your report. |
| Rigspolitichefens Afd. A Teknisk Afdeling, IT-Sektionen | it-kriminalitet@politi.dk | Denmark 45 |
IT-related crime. Open on work days; for urgent cases please contact your local police. | Working on a new reporting system |
| HONG KONG POLICE | crimeinformation@police.gov.hk | Hong Kong 852 |
Use only if you can show a direct link to something in Hong Kong. | They seem to be especially interested in chain letters ('send $5.00 now') and similar scams because it's tax evasion and money laundering. |
| Korea Spam Response Center | Korea 82 |
Report the received Korean Spam to the KSRC (Korea Spam Response Center) if you cannot contact the ISP. | Reports via online form only: Reporting Korean Spam | |
| Spamvrij.nl | Netherlands 31 |
Due to the work of Spamvrij.nl (site in Dutch), combined with
strict application of Dutch anti-spam law, spam that fits one of these criteria:
|
Spamvrij.nl now cooperates with other organizations like Spamhaus to combat more "internationally-oriented" spam where Dutch servers may be implicated. | |
Additions and corrections are welcomed. Please provide a reference to a web page or other evidence that the owner of the email address actually wants to receive spam reports; also specify reporting criteria when known. Reporting spam to an address that isn't set up to handle that particular type of spam will hinder rather than help!