FTC, State AG, or CFPB? How to Know Where to File Your Complaint

Why this matters

In the U.S. you have more than one place to complain when a business, lender, collector, or online platform does something wrong. The problem is that each government actor has a different job:

• The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is the broad federal agency that attacks fraud, scams, unfair/deceptive business practices, fake ads, and some data/privacy abuses — especially when the harm affects lots of people.
• The State Attorney General (AG) protects consumers inside the state, enforces state “UDAP” laws, and often helps with local businesses, contractors, auto dealers, housing scams, and multi-state settlements.
• The CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) is focused on consumer-financial products/services — credit reports, banks, cards, loans, debt collection, money transfers — and has the best complaint portal for getting an answer from a specific financial company.

Choosing the right one first can make the difference between a fast, concrete answer and a complaint that just “goes into the database.” This guide shows you who to pick, when, and how to describe the problem so that it actually gets handled.

“Graphics” info — Who handles what?

1. When to complain to the CFPB

Choose the CFPB whenever your problem is clearly involved with a consumer-financial product or service:

• Credit reporting (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian, ChexSystems)
• Debt collection (debt not owed, threats, wrong person)
• Bank accounts (fees, payment posting, Zelle/wire not received)
• Credit cards (unexpected interest, dispute not honored)
• Loans (auto, student, personal, payday, BNPL, mortgage servicing)
• Money transfers and remittances

Why CFPB first? Because the CFPB’s system actually routes the complaint to the company and the company must answer within a timeframe. That makes it the fastest way to get a correction or refund from a bank-level entity.

What to include: product, company name, dates, copies of your earlier disputes, and the exact fix you want. Mention if you believe they violated FCRA (credit reporting), FDCPA (debt collection), EFTA/Reg E (electronic transfers), or UDAAP (unfair/deceptive/abusive acts).

2. When to complain to the FTC

Use the FTC when the problem is fraud-like, nationwide, telemarketing/robocall, impersonation, fake ad, privacy/data, or an online store that never shipped. The FTC is not usually going to fix your individual refund today, but your report:

• goes into a national database used by many enforcement agencies,
• helps spot trending scams, and
• can support future federal actions or refunds through settlements.

Great FTC targets:

• “We are from Social Security / IRS, pay now” calls
• Fake tech-support popups
• Online shops that take money and don’t deliver
• “Business opportunity” or “investment” that looks like a pyramid
• Unfair or deceptive influencer ads
• Companies that sell or leak your data improperly

Why still file even if the FTC might not contact you: volume is what lets the FTC shut down a fraud ring, sue a platform, or negotiate consumer redress later.

3. When to complain to your State Attorney General

File with your State AG when the issue is local, happening in your state, and tied to a business that operates or is registered there, or when you need someone to enforce your state’s strong consumer law. State AG offices often have mediation or complaint-resolution staff who will actually contact the business.

Great State AG targets:

• Auto dealer added bogus fees or refused to honor warranty
• Local landlord/management charged illegal application/move-in fees
• Home-repair, solar, HVAC, contractor fraud
• Local debt-relief/immigration/notario scams
• Abuse of state-level “source of income” protections for vouchers
• Insurance-style products sold without a license in your state

Why AG? Because they can actually write to the local business and demand a response, they know your state-specific statutes (state UDAP, landlord-tenant, auto, health club, timeshare), and they can join multi-state actions with other AGs.

Can I file in more than one place?

Yes. In fact, in many situations the smartest move is:

• CFPB + FTC: when a fraud/impersonation hit your bank/wallet
• CFPB + State AG: when a local lender or collector mishandled your account
• FTC + State AG: when a local business is running an online scam affecting many people

Just keep your description consistent across agencies.

FAQ (English)

1) Will any of them act immediately?

CFPB is the likeliest to get you a direct company response fast, because the complaint is literally forwarded to the firm. FTC and many AGs use complaints to build cases; some AGs do individual mediation.

2) What if I don’t know which law was violated?

Describe the harm (money lost, credit damaged, threats, data leaked) and the steps you already took. Agencies will map it to their statutes. Mentioning a likely law (FCRA, FDCPA, EFTA, UDAAP, state UDAP) just makes it stronger.

3) Can I stay anonymous?

For enforcement tips, sometimes yes (FTC). But if you want a company to fix your specific account (CFPB, AG mediation), you need to identify yourself so they can locate the transaction.

4) I’m outside the U.S. but the company is American — who do I contact?

You can still file with the FTC and often with the CFPB if it’s a U.S. financial product. Mention your country and time zone.

5) Will they give me legal advice?

No. These bodies enforce laws; they do not become your personal attorney. But their written responses can help you talk to a lawyer later.

6) Can I get my money back?

With CFPB, often yes (refund, adjustment, tradeline correction). With State AG, sometimes (through mediation). With FTC, sometimes later, through settlement funds.

7) What if it’s clearly criminal (identity theft, elder financial abuse)?

File with FTC (IdentityTheft.gov) for the recovery plan, tell your State AG, and also make a police report. If a bank/card is involved, add a CFPB complaint to push the bank to follow Reg E/Z timelines.

8) Can businesses complain too?

Yes — especially to the FTC (about scams, impersonation, unfair competitors) and to State AGs. For purely business-to-business financial products, the CFPB may be less useful.

9) What makes an agency ignore a complaint?

Vague stories (“they stole from me”) with no dates, no company name, no documents, and no law/policy hook are hard to act on. Give specifics.

10) Should I say they violated UDAAP?

You can. For financial firms, “this looks unfair/deceptive/abusive” is a normal way to flag seriousness, especially to the CFPB. State AGs also love state UDAP (same idea, different name).

Legal / technical base (English)

1. Dodd-Frank Act, Title X (Consumer Financial Protection Act) — created the CFPB and authorized it to collect and respond to consumer complaints on consumer-financial products/services; empowered it to prohibit UDAAP.

2. Federal Trade Commission Act, Section 5 — authorizes the FTC to act against unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce. Most online or cross-state scams fit here.

3. State UDAP / mini-FTC acts — nearly every state has a statute that lets the Attorney General (and sometimes consumers) act against unfair/deceptive practices happening in that state; these statutes are often broader than federal law.

4. FCRA, FDCPA, EFTA/Reg E, TILA, RESPA, ECOA — sectoral federal consumer laws. When a complaint shows a violation of one of these, CFPB is the best first destination because it supervises and enforces them.

5. Multi-state and federal-state partnerships — FTC, CFPB, and State AGs often share complaint data. Filing with one can surface your issue to others, especially when you describe it clearly.

Conclusion

Think of it like this: CFPB = “fix my financial account right now.” FTC = “this scam should be stopped for everyone.” State AG = “this local business in my state is breaking consumer law.” If you line up your complaint with the agency’s mission, use documents, and state a realistic outcome, you get the highest chance of a real response — and you help build the enforcement record that protects other people.