Reporting is part of business continuity
A Central Florida business may encounter a fraudulent payment request, a compromised mailbox, stolen credentials, malware, or unauthorized access to a system. The immediate business priority is containment: stop additional loss, preserve evidence, and protect customers and employees. The next priority is choosing the right reporting route.
Florida’s official resources distinguish between emergency response, cybercrime reporting, fraud reporting, and technical assistance. These channels serve different purposes. Filing a report does not guarantee an investigation or recovery of funds, but timely and accurate reporting can help agencies identify related activity and gives the business a formal record of what occurred.
Start with the type of event
Use this decision path:
- Immediate physical danger or an active threat: call 911 or local law enforcement.
- Cyber-enabled fraud or an online scam: submit a complaint to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, commonly called IC3.
- A Florida cybercrime requiring state-law enforcement attention: use the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Cybercrime Office reporting route and coordinate with local law enforcement.
- Fraud, deceptive business practices, or consumer-facing scams: use the Florida Department of Financial Services fraud resources and the Federal Trade Commission’s reporting system.
- A suspected data breach involving regulated or sensitive information: involve counsel, the relevant regulator, the organization’s insurer, and law enforcement as appropriate before making public notifications.
FDLE’s cybercrime guidance specifically directs victims of cyber-enabled fraud or scams to the FBI’s IC3 complaint form. FDLE also describes its Cybercrime Office as having a statewide mission that includes investigating complex cybercrimes, assisting state, regional, and local technical investigations, and disseminating information to the public.
Preserve facts before changing everything
Business owners understandably want to delete suspicious messages, wipe a compromised device, or reset every password immediately. Some urgent containment actions are appropriate, but evidence can disappear quickly. Before making broad changes, record:
- The date and time the problem was discovered.
- The person who discovered it and how it was identified.
- Relevant email addresses, phone numbers, account names, domains, and transaction details.
- Screenshots or exported copies of suspicious messages, without clicking links or opening attachments again.
- Bank, payroll, payment processor, or cryptocurrency transaction information.
- The affected devices, cloud services, user accounts, and vendors.
- Actions already taken, including password resets, account suspension, wire recalls, or device isolation.
Preserve original files where possible. Do not rely only on printed screenshots. Ask the organization’s IT provider or incident-response adviser how to collect logs and images without destroying useful information.
If money moved, act on the financial channel immediately
A fraudulent payment should be treated as a financial emergency. Contact the bank or payment provider using a trusted telephone number—not the number in the suspicious message. Ask whether a recall, hold, freeze, or transaction review is available. Record the time of each call, the department reached, the case number, and the requested follow-up.
The Florida Department of Financial Services advises people and businesses affected by fraud to contact relevant fraud departments, report qualifying fraud to federal agencies, and notify local law enforcement. Its public guidance also identifies IC3 and the Florida Attorney General’s fraud hotline as reporting resources.
What is confirmed—and what is not
Confirmed: FDLE provides a cybercrime reporting route and directs cyber-enabled fraud victims toward IC3. Florida’s Department of Financial Services provides fraud-reporting guidance, and Cyber Florida’s Threat Room offers free or low-cost security information from trusted sources for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Not confirmed merely because a report was filed: that funds will be recovered, that law enforcement will open a case, that an event legally qualifies as a reportable breach, or that a vendor is responsible. Those conclusions require fact-specific review. A report is one part of response—not a substitute for containment, legal analysis, notification decisions, or recovery planning.
Create a Central Florida contact card
Keep a printed and offline copy containing:
- Local police and emergency contacts.
- Bank fraud and payment-provider contacts.
- IT provider and incident-response contacts.
- Insurance breach or cyber-claim instructions.
- Counsel or privacy adviser.
- FDLE cybercrime reporting route.
- IC3 reporting route.
- Florida fraud-reporting resources.
- The person authorized to communicate with customers and employees.
Do not store the only copy in the email account or cloud service that may be unavailable during an incident.
A practical first-day sequence
- Stop suspicious payments and contact the financial institution.
- Isolate affected devices or accounts while preserving evidence.
- Call the organization’s IT or security provider.
- Notify the insurer according to the policy’s instructions.
- Consult counsel about privacy, contractual, and regulatory duties.
- Submit the appropriate law-enforcement or fraud reports.
- Keep a dated incident log.
- Communicate only verified facts to employees, customers, and partners.
A clear reporting route reduces delay, but businesses should verify current agency instructions before acting. Contact information and online forms can change.