Reporting Computer Hacking, Fraud and Other Internet-Related Crime
The primary federal law enforcement agencies that investigate domestic crime on the Internet include: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Secret Service, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) , the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) . Each of these agencies has offices conveniently located in every state to which crimes may be reported. Contact information regarding these local offices may be found in local telephone directories. In general, federal crime may be reported to the local office of an appropriate law enforcement agency by a telephone call and by requesting the "Duty Complaint Agent."
Each law enforcement agency also has a headquarters (HQ) in Washington, D.C., which has agents who specialize in particular areas. For example, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service both have headquarters-based specialists in computer intrusion (i.e., computer hacker) cases.
To determine some of the federal investigative law enforcement agencies that may be appropriate for reporting certain kinds of crime, please refer to the following:
Type of Crime |
Appropriate federal investigative
|
| Computer intrusion (i.e. hacking) | |
| Password trafficking | |
| Counterfeiting of currency | U.S. Secret Service |
| Child Pornography or Exploitation |
if imported, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement |
| Child Exploitation and Internet Fraud matters that have a mail nexus | |
| Internet fraud and SPAM |
U.S. Secret Service(Financial Crimes Division) Federal Trade Commission(online complaint) if securities fraud or investment-related SPAM e-mails, Securities and Exchange Commission (online complaint) |
| Internet harassment | FBI local office |
| Internet bomb threats | |
| Trafficking in explosive or incendiary devices or firearms over the Internet |
For more information about cyber crimes please feel free to visit the Department of Justice's Cyber Crime website at http://www.cybercrime.gov/.
