Free to read
Something on a bill or a credit file looks off. Start here, then go to the office that can actually help.
Savings Watcher is a short map to official reporting desks and a few independent tools. We do not take complaints on this site, and we are not a government agency.
See the official officesHow this works
Read, pick a desk, leave.
This page exists so you stop hunting for the right .gov form.
Name the mess
A mystery charge, a high-pressure call, a credit-file error, or a collector who will not stay in their lane.
Skim the briefing
Short, plain English. Not a diagnosis and not legal advice. Enough to know which process you are in.
File where it counts
The links below go to government sites and the authorized free credit-report site. Open a case there if you need one.
Common issues
What usually brings people here
If none of these fit, skip straight to the official offices.
A line item you never approved
Bank and card disputes run on deadlines. Put it in writing with the issuer. A chat with the merchant is not the same as a dispute.
A caller who will not let you hang up
Urgency, gift cards, wires, and “pay now or get arrested” are tells. End the call. Look up a number yourself and verify.
Credit you did not open
IdentityTheft.gov has the recovery checklist. Pull the free reports at the authorized site while you do that.
A collector crossing the line
They can look for a phone number. They cannot broadcast the debt to your workplace or your neighbors. That rule is federal.
Official offices
Report on their site, not ours
We do not take reports. These desks do.
FTC ReportFraud ↗
Scams, fraud, and rotten business practices. Federal consumer complaint intake.
FBI IC3 ↗
Internet crime, including wires and account takeovers. File sooner rather than later.
IdentityTheft.gov ↗
The official recovery plan if someone opened credit or filed taxes in your name.
AnnualCreditReport.com ↗
The authorized free credit-report site. Not a scoring app. Not a trial.
Questions
Straight answers
Are you a government office?
No. Savings Watcher is an independent guide. The .gov links are the government. We are not the FTC, CFPB, FBI, or any state attorney general.
Do I file my complaint with you?
No. If you need a case number, use the official offices above. We do not store fraud reports or identity-theft affidavits.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general education. A lawyer in your state is the person who can look at your contract or your file.
Why is this free?
The guides are free to read. Some third-party tools we mention later may charge for their own work. Government links do not pay us.