REPORTING CYBERCRIME TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

REPORTING CYBERCRIME TO FEDERAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Listcrime is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information about cyber crime, we at Listcrime.com want to give home users and small businesses the advice they need to use the Internet safely. For the most part, references within this web page appear as links to the actual site that the information came from. I revert to customary referencing when citing non-WWW based sources. A bibliography of any sources not linked will appears at the end of this web page.

Internet-related crime, like any other crime, should be reported to appropriate law enforcement investigative authorities at the local, state, federal, or international levels, depending on the scope of the crime. Citizens who are aware of federal crimes should report them to local offices or federal law enforcement.

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.

Although you should report cybercrime to Federal law enforcement, unfortunately they usually don't work on small monetary losses. What commonly happens is that U.S. Attorney's office for these federal agencies will decline prosecution because your monetary loss is just not enough for them to seek prosecution at the federal level.

Please undrestand that law enforcement agencies such as the Secret Service or FBI DO NOT PROSECUTE CASES. They only present them for prosecution. An Assistant United States Attorney has discretion to decline to prosecute a case based on several considerations. The Assistant United States Attorney must decline if the evidence is too weak. The Assistant United States Attorney is ethically bound not to bring criminal charges unless the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain a conviction. However, even when the evidence is sufficient, the Assistant United States Attorney may consider that there is not a sufficient federal interest served by prosecution, but that the defendant is subject to prosecution in another state or local court (including a state court for the prosecution of juvenile delinquents).

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 table:

LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS a list of local police departments in your area

When reporting to local law enforcement you should gather the following information and materials and turn them over to the police investigators, being sure to keep any original documents related to the case:

Date of birth, driver's license number, social security number, telephone numbers (work, home, and cellular), and e-mail addresses of every victim in the household
Account numbers involved in the theft and the names of primary and secondary account holders

When and how the fraud or theft was discovered, and under what circumstances the victim became aware of the identity theft

Exact locations (addresses, businesses, persons involved) where fraudulent use of the identity occurred

Name, addresses (home and work), phone numbers, date of birth of every person involved in the incident

Names of financial institutions the victim has notified of the theft, along with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of customer service representatives or investigators who accepted the report, the dates and times of the reports, a brief summary of the conversation, and copies of any e-mail messages or faxes sent to or received from the financial institutions

Photocopies of any letters, account statements, and other documents associated with the case

A chronological log of the theft and the victim's actions since discovering the theft, to include information about the discovery of theft or fraud, possible locations of the theft, and names or descriptions of persons around when the theft might have occurred

During the early stages of the investigation it is important to determine the motive. The motive will help direct the investigation. The motive for financial crimes is usually greed, drugs, or revenge. Determining the motive requires investigators to conduct a detailed interview with the victim.

LINKS TO OTHER FEDERAL REPORTING AGENCIES:

THE STOP INITIATIVE TO PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (www.stopfakes.gov) U.S. trading partners efforts to protect and enforce intellectual property (IP).

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET
This web site gives you information on how to report child pornography to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

THE COMPUTER CRIME AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECTION (CCIPS) is responsible for implementing the Department's national strategies in combating computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide. The Computer Crime Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to combat electronic penetrations, data thefts, and cyber attacks on critical information systems.

COMPLAINTS ABOUT FOREIGN COMPANIES
Report complaints about transactions with foreign companies. Certified government agencies may use this information to investigate suspect companies and individuals, uncover new scams, and spot trends in fraud.

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATING CENTER (report national security and infrastructure issues) Department of Homeland Security, protecting our homeland

CONSUMER COMPLAINT FORM
Report both civil and criminal complaints, such as Internet, telemarketing, and other consumer-related fraud through the Consumer Sentinel database. This tool is used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies to gain immediate and secure access to your complaint.

U.S. COMPUTER EMERGENCY READINESS TEAM (U.S. CERT) (online reporting for technicians) The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.

FURTER WAYS TO REPORTFROM CYBERCRIME.GOV
View this helpful chart of where to report various Internet-related crimes, including hacking, spam, copyright piracy, and child exploitation.

IDENTITY THEFT
If you believe you have been the victim of identity theft, use this form to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps them investigate fraud and can lead to law enforcement action.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATTORNEY GENERALS The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) was founded in 1907 to help Attorneys General fulfill the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions
INTERNET FRAUD COMPLAINT CENTER
Alert authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation through the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC). The IFCC serves as a central place for Internet fraud complaints, works to find fraud patterns, and provides timely data of fraud trends.
INTERNET INVESTMENT FRAUD
File concerns and problems with individual investors at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Complaints can alert the SEC to a bad broker or firm, an unfair practice in the securities industry, or the latest Internet fraud.

Description:	Federal Bureau of Investigation: Law Enforcement Bulletin
URL:	http://www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/leb.htm

Description:	Federal Bureau of Investigation: State Sex Offender Registry Websites
URL:	http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm

Description:	Federal Bureau of Prisons: Inmate Database
URL:	http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp

Description:	US Department of Justice: United States Attorneys' Offices Contact Information
URL:	http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/offices/index.html

Description:	Office of Foreign Assets Control: Master list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons
URL:	http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/t11sdn.pdf

Description:	US Secret Service: Counterfeit Checks
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES	http://www.einformation.usss.gov
URL: CHAIN LETTERS CHARITY SCAMS FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION CHECK FRAUD SECRET SERVICE – LOCAL OFFICE CHILD EXPLOITATION in EMAIL MISSING KIDS POSTAL INSPECTION AGENCY HOTLINE VIRTUAL GLOBAL TASKFORCE CHILD EXPLOITATION Online FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION CHILD EXPLOITATION in UK VIRTUAL GLOBAL TASKFORCE CHILD HARASSMENT Online (COLORADO) STUDENT CRIME STOPPERS CYBERBULLYING CYBERTIP LINE LOCAL CYBERCRIME POLICE CYBERSQUATTING FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION CYBERSTALKING (LOS ANGELES, CA) Hotline 877-633-0044	ESPIONAGE SUSPECTED FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS FORGERY SECRET SERVICE FRAUD in Email POSTAL INSPECTION AGENCY HOTLINE FRAUD - ONLINE SHOPPING FEDERAL TRADE COMMISION HACKING FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION HARASSMENT in EMAIL/ONLINE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION – LOCAL OFFICE DOCUMENT FRAUD CUSTOMSAND BORDER PROTECTION DRUG TRAFFICKING within USA borders DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY DRUG TRAFFICKING across USA borders CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION ELDER FRAUD NATIONAL FRAUD INFORMATION CENTER DATA or INFORMATION THEFT NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS COORDINATION CENTER

What is your Government doing about unsolicited emails?

Governments are catching up with spam laws, but sadly many have not legislated this yet. Canada has no spam laws, even though the "Federal Anti-Spam Task Force" recommended this in 2004. Country specific laws can be found at Spamlaws.com

The United States has legislated email with CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) in 2003. This law require several elements of a commercial email message conform to a minimum set of standards. Here is a rundown of the law's main provisions:

1) It requires that your email give recipients an opt-out method, which must be processed within 10 days of receiving by the sender
2) It bans false or misleading header information
3) It prohibits deceptive subject lines
4) It requires that commercial email
be identified as an advertisement and include the sender's valid physical
postal address

Sources:

REPORTING CYBERCRIME TO FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

REPORTING CYBERCRIME TO FEDERAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT