Awe CheckWhere to report a website: data violations, scams, consumer rights
Where to turn if a site violates your rights: Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, the EU, the USA. The steps, what to attach and when a complaint works.
Checked against sources: 12 October 2026
- 10 daysa typical claim period before a complaint
- 5markets with a complaint route in the guide
- 0complaints Awe Check files itself
First write to the site owner
Almost everywhere the regulator expects you already asked the operator. Write to the address on the site: what exactly is wrong, what you want (delete data, stop mailings, refund) and a reply deadline, say 10 days. Keep the letter and the answer.
Where to go next
- Kazakhstan: data leaks and unlawful processing, a complaint to the authorised body (Information Security Committee of the Ministry of Digital Development); buyer rights, through eOtinish to the Consumer Protection Committee.
- Russia: breaches of the personal data law, Roskomnadzor; buyer rights, Rospotrebnadzor.
- Belarus: the National Personal Data Protection Center.
- European Union: your country’s data protection authority (list on the EDPB site). Complaints are free and can be in your language.
- USA: fraud and deceiving buyers, the FTC; breaches of California’s data law, the CPPA or the state attorney general.
What to attach
- The site address and the pages with the problem.
- Screenshots with date and time.
- A copy of your letter to the owner and the reply (or a note that there was none).
- For payments: the receipt, order number and bank statement.
If you were cheated at payment
Call your bank at once: a card payment can in some cases be disputed (chargeback), a transfer to a private account cannot. Do not send repeat payments and do not answer “security department” emails from the seller. Vet a shop in advance with the signs in the guide “How to check an online shop”.
If you own the site
A complaint about your site does not come from nowhere: most often it is data not deleted, mailings without consent or an undelivered order. Answer the customer on time, fix the cause and scan the site in Awe Check: that closes the typical causes of complaints.
Frequently asked
Can I complain anonymously?
Often yes, but a complaint with contacts is taken more seriously and you can get an answer. National law decides whether you must give your details.
How long until an answer?
It depends on the country and body: usually ten days to a month. If it is urgent (a leak, payment fraud) go to the bank and the police first.
Does Awe Check report violations itself?
No. We do not file complaints on your behalf nor hand check data to authorities: the report is for the owner to fix the site.
