Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s number one priority. The Bureau works closely with its partners to neutralize terrorist cells and operatives here in the United States, to help dismantle extremist networks worldwide, and to cut off financing and other forms of support provided to foreign terrorist organizations.
International terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored).
Domestic terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.
Report: Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism
The FBI is committed to remaining agile in its approach to the terrorism threat, which has continued to evolve since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Years after these attacks, the threat landscape has expanded considerably, and international terrorism remains a serious threat. The threat of domestic terrorism also remains persistent overall, with actors crossing the line from exercising First Amendment-protected rights to committing crimes in furtherance of violent agendas.
Many factors have contributed to the evolution of the terrorism threat on both the international and domestic fronts, such as:
Lone offenders: Terrorist threats have evolved from large-group conspiracies toward lone-offender attacks. These individuals often radicalize online and mobilize to violence quickly. Without a clear group affiliation or guidance, lone offenders are challenging to identify, investigate, and disrupt. The FBI relies on partnerships and tips from the public to identify and thwart these attacks.
The Internet and social media: International and domestic violent extremists have developed an extensive presence on the Internet through messaging platforms and online images, videos, and publications. These facilitate the groups’ ability to radicalize and recruit individuals who are receptive to extremist messaging. Social media has also allowed both international and domestic terrorists to gain unprecedented, virtual access to people living in the United States in an effort to enable homeland attacks. The Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), in particular, encourages sympathizers to carry out simple attacks wherever they are located—or to travel to ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria and join its ranks as foreign fighters. This message has resonated with supporters in the United States and abroad.
It is important for people to protect themselves both online and in-person, and to report any suspicious activity they encounter. The simplest ways to accomplish this are to:
Remain aware of your surroundings.
Refrain from oversharing personal information.
Say something if you see something. The insular nature of today’s violent extremists makes them difficult for law enforcement to identify and disrupt before an attack. Many times, a person’s family or friends may be the first to notice a concerning change in behavior that may indicate a person is mobilizing to violence.
Additional information regarding how to report suspicious activity and protect the community is available via the resources below.
Nationwide SAR Initiative (NSI): The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative is a joint collaborative effort by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and law enforcement partners.
Community Preparedness Tools: The Department of Homeland Security offers security resources for businesses and communities.
The Contact Us section of fbi.gov provides detailed contact information for the FBI’s local and international offices. You can also submit a tip online.
The U.S. Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators booklet lists behaviors that could mean someone is planning ideologically motivated violence.
Spies might seem like a throwback to earlier days of world wars and cold wars, but they are more common than ever—and they are targeting our nation’s most valuable secrets. Because much of today’s spying is accomplished by data theft from computer networks, espionage is quickly becoming cyber-based.
The FBI is the lead agency for exposing, preventing, and investigating intelligence activities in the U.S. The goals of the FBI’s counterintelligence work are to:
Protect the secrets of the U.S. Intelligence Community
Protect the nation’s critical assets, like our advanced technologies and sensitive information in the defense, intelligence, economic, financial, public health, and science and technology sectors.
Counter the activities of foreign spies
Keep weapons of mass destruction from falling into the wrong hands
Economic espionage costs the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars per year and puts our national security at risk. These foreign competitors deliberately target economic intelligence in advanced technologies and successful U.S. industries.
Historically, economic espionage has targeted defense-related and high-tech industries. But recent FBI cases have shown that no industry, large or small, is immune to the threat. Any company with a proprietary product, process, or idea can be a target. Any unprotected trade secret can be illegally stolen.
In addition to its investigative work, the FBI works to raise public awareness and inform industry of the threats they face, through outreach activities.
In collaboration with the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the FBI released a short film to educate anyone with a trade secret about how they can protect it. Based on an actual case, The Company Man: Protecting America’s Secrets illustrates how one U.S. company was targeted by foreign spies and how that company worked with the FBI to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Malicious cyber activity threatens the public’s safety and our national and economic security. The FBI’s cyber strategy is to impose risk and consequences on cyber adversaries. Our goal is to change the behavior of criminals and nation-states who believe they can compromise U.S. networks, steal financial and intellectual property, and put critical infrastructure at risk without facing risk themselves. To do this, we use our unique mix of authorities, capabilities, and partnerships to impose consequences against our cyber adversaries.
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating cyber attacks and intrusions. We collect and share intelligence and engage with victims while working to unmask those committing malicious cyber activities, wherever they are.
Learn more about what you can do to protect yourself from cyber criminals, how you can report cyber crime, and the Bureau's efforts in combating the evolving cyber threat.
Learn how businesses and organizations can work with the FBI to get ahead of the threat and make an impact on our cyber adversaries.
Taking the right security measures and being alert and aware when connected are key ways to prevent cyber intrusions and online crimes. Learn how to protect your computer, network, and personal information.
Business email compromise (BEC) scams exploit the fact that so many of us rely on email to conduct business—both personal and professional—and it’s one of the most financially damaging online crimes.
Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information, like your Social Security number, and uses it to commit theft or fraud.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that prevents you from accessing your computer files, systems, or networks and demands you pay a ransom for their return.
Spoofing and phishing are schemes aimed at tricking you into providing sensitive information to scammers.
Online predators are a growing threat to young people.
More common crimes and scams
If you are the victim of online or internet-enabled crime, file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) as soon as possible. Crime reports are used for investigative and intelligence purposes. Rapid reporting can also help support the recovery of lost funds. Visit ic3.gov for more information, including tips and information about current crime trends.
If you or your organization is the victim of a network intrusion, data breach, or ransomware attack, contact your nearest FBI field office.
Our adversaries look to exploit gaps in our intelligence and information security networks. The FBI is committed to working with our federal counterparts, our foreign partners, and the private sector to close those gaps.
These partnerships allow us to defend networks, attribute malicious activity, sanction bad behavior, and take the fight to our adversaries overseas. The FBI fosters this team approach through unique hubs where government, industry, and academia form long-term trusted relationships to combine efforts against cyber threats.
Within government, that hub is the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF). The FBI leads this task force of more than 30 co-located agencies from the Intelligence Community and law enforcement. The NCIJTF is organized around mission centers based on key cyber threat areas and led by senior executives from partner agencies. Through these mission centers, operations and intelligence are integrated for maximum impact against U.S. adversaries.
Only together can we achieve safety, security, and confidence in a digitally connected world.
Whether through developing innovative investigative techniques, using cutting-edge analytic tools, or forging new partnerships in our communities, the FBI continues to adapt to meet the challenges posed by the evolving cyber threat.
The FBI has specially trained cyber squads in each of our 56 field offices, working hand-in-hand with interagency task force partners.
The rapid-response Cyber Action Team can deploy across the country within hours to respond to major incidents.
With cyber assistant legal attachés in embassies across the globe, the FBI works closely with our international counterparts to seek justice for victims of malicious cyber activity.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) collects reports of Internet crime from the public. Using such complaints, the IC3’s Recovery Asset Team has assisted in freezing hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims of cyber crime.
CyWatch is the FBI’s 24/7 operations center and watch floor, providing around-the-clock support to track incidents and communicate with field offices across the country.
The FBI’s top criminal investigative priority poses a fundamental threat to our national security and way of life.
It can affect how well our borders are secured, how verdicts are handed down in courts, and how public infrastructure like roads and schools are built. It also takes a significant toll on the public’s pocketbooks; it's estimated that public corruption costs the U.S. government and the public billions of tax dollars each year.
Our public corruption program focuses on:
Investigating violations of federal law by public officials at the federal, state, and local levels of government.
Overseeing the nationwide investigation of allegations of fraud related to federal government procurement, contracts, and federally funded programs.
Combating the threat of public corruption along the nation’s borders and points of entry to decrease the country’s vulnerability to drug and weapons trafficking, alien smuggling, espionage, and terrorism.
Addressing environmental crime, election fraud, and matters concerning the federal government procurement, contracts, and federally funded programs.
To report public corruption in your area, contact your local FBI public corruption hotline.
The FBI is uniquely situated to combat corruption, with the skills and capabilities to run complex undercover operations and surveillance.
We also work with a number of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to combat public corruption, including:
The Department of Justice
Offices of inspectors general in different agencies
Law enforcement agencies’ internal affairs divisions
Federal, state, and local law enforcement and regulatory investigative agencies
State and county prosecutor’s offices.
Since its earliest days, the FBI has helped protect the civil rights of the American people. A dozen of its first 34 special agents, for example, were experts in peonage—the modern-day equivalent of slave labor. The Bureau began battling the KKK as early as 1918, and for years it handled color of law cases involving police brutality. Today, protecting civil rights remains one of its top priorities.
The FBI is the primary federal agency responsible for investigating allegations regarding violations of federal civil rights statutes. These laws are designed to protect the civil rights of all persons—citizens and non-citizens alike—within U.S. territory. Using its full suite of investigative and intelligence capabilities, the Bureau today works closely with its partners to prevent and address hate crime, color of law violations, and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act violations.
The FBI has also established productive and meaningful liaison relationships with state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, non-governmental organizations, and community and minority groups to improve reporting of civil rights violations, promote the benefits of sharing information and intelligence, and develop proactive strategies for identifying and addressing trends in this field.
The FBI opens hundreds of civil rights cases each year, and it’s a responsibility the Bureau takes very seriously. The Bureau's civil rights program investigates hate crimes, color of law violations, and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act violations.
Investigating hate crimes is the highest priority of the FBI’s civil rights program.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, the United States witnessed a dramatic escalation in the number of acts of violence and harassment directed towards reproductive health care providers and clinics. These incidents, typically in the form of blockades, arson, use of chemical irritants, bomb threats, death threats, stalking, and vandalism, continued well into the next decade. In 1993, the first murder of a reproductive health care provider occurred. Dr. David Gunn, a physician who provided abortion services, was murdered during an anti-abortion protest at a clinic in Pensacola, Florida.
In response to the alarming trend of increasing violence, the U.S. Congress enacted the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 248, in 1994. Often referred to by its acronym, the FACE Act makes it a federal crime to injure, intimidate, or interfere with those seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health care services – including through assault, murder, burglary, physical blockade, and making threatening phone calls and mailings. This law also prohibits damaging or destroying any facility because reproductive health services are provided within.
Since the passage of the FACE Act, the number of violent crimes committed against reproductive health care providers and facilities has dramatically decreased. The FBI and its local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners aggressively pursue all violations of the statute for eventual prosecution by local United States Attorney’s Offices and/or the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C.
In addition to the FACE Act, other frequently considered federal statutes in FACE Act investigations include: Arson or Bombing, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 844(h); Mail Threats/Threatening Communications, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 875(c); Interstate Threats, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 876(c); and Use of Firearm During the Commission of a Federal Violation, Title 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c). Violators of the FACE Act are subject to criminal penalties, including imprisonment and fines. The severity of the punishment demands upon the nature of the offense and whether or not the person who committed the crime is a repeat offender.
It should be noted the FACE Act does not criminalize the lawful exercise of one’s constitutional rights. For instance, it is not a violation to protest peacefully outside of a reproductive health care facility, including such actions as carrying signs, chanting, singing hymns, distributing literature, and shouting as part of First Amendment protected activities – as long as no threats are communicated and facility access is in no way impeded.
Resource Booklet for Reproductive Health Care Providers and Their Staffs
Law enforcement officers and other officials like judges and prosecutors have been given tremendous power by local, state, and federal government agencies—authority they must have to enforce the law and ensure justice in our country. These powers include the authority to detain and arrest suspects, to search and seize property, to bring criminal charges, to make rulings in court, and to use deadly force in certain situations.
Preventing abuse of this authority, however, is equally necessary to the health of our nation’s democracy. That’s why it’s a federal crime for anyone acting under “color of law” to willfully deprive or conspire to deprive a person of a right protected by the Constitution or U.S. law. “Color of law” simply means the person is using authority given to him or her by a local, state, or federal government agency.
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating color of law violations, which include acts carried out by government officials operating both within and beyond the limits of their lawful authority. Off-duty conduct may be covered if the perpetrator asserted his or her official status in some way. Those violations include, but are not limited to, the following acts:
Excessive force: In making arrests, maintaining order, and defending life, law enforcement officers are allowed to use whatever force is “reasonably” necessary. The breadth and scope of the use of force is vast—from just the physical presence of the officer to the use of deadly force. Violations of federal law occur when it can be shown that the force used was willfully “unreasonable” or “excessive.”
Sexual assault: Sexual assault by officials acting under color of law can happen in jails, during traffic stops, or in other settings where officials might use their position of authority to coerce an individual into sexual compliance. The compliance is generally gained because of a threat of an official action against the person if he or she doesn’t comply.
False arrest and obstruction of justice: The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right against unreasonable searches or seizures. A law enforcement official using authority provided under the color of law is allowed to stop individuals and, under certain circumstances, to search them and retain their property. It is in the abuse of that discretionary power—such as an unlawful detention or illegal confiscation of property—that a violation of a person’s civil rights may occur.
Fabricating evidence against or falsely arresting an individual also violates the color of law statute, taking away the person’s rights of due process and unreasonable seizure. In the case of deprivation of property, the color of law statute would be violated by unlawfully obtaining or maintaining a person’s property, which oversteps or misapplies the official’s authority.
The Fourteenth Amendment secures the right to due process; the Eighth Amendment prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment. During an arrest or detention, these rights can be violated by the use of force amounting to punishment (summary judgment). The person accused of a crime must be allowed the opportunity to have a trial and should not be subjected to punishment without having been afforded the opportunity of the legal process.
Deprivation of medical care: Individuals in custody have a right to medical treatment for serious medical needs. An official acting under color of law who recognizes the serious medical need, but knowingly and willfully denies or prevents access to medical care may have committed a federal color of law violation.
Failure to keep from harm: The public counts on its law enforcement officials to protect local communities. If it’s shown that an official willfully failed to keep an individual from harm, that official could be in violation of the color of law statute.
Filing a Complaint
To file a color of law complaint, contact your local FBI office by telephone, in writing, or in person. The following information should be provided:
All identifying information for the victim(s);
As much identifying information as possible regarding the subject(s), including position, rank, and agency employed;
Date and time of incident;
Location of incident;
Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of any witness(es);
A complete chronology of events; and
Any report numbers and charges with respect to the incident.
You may also contact the United States Attorney’s Office in your district or send a written complaint to:
Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
Criminal Section
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest
Washington, DC 20530
FBI investigations vary in length. Once our investigation is complete, we forward the findings to the U.S. Attorney’s Office within the local jurisdiction and to the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., which decide whether or not to proceed toward prosecution and handle any prosecutions that follow.
Civil Applications
While the FBI does not investigate civil violations, Title 42, U.S.C., Section 14141 makes it unlawful for state or local law enforcement agencies to allow officers to engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives persons of rights protected by the Constitution or U.S. laws. This law, commonly referred to as the Police Misconduct Statute, gives the Department of Justice authority to seek civil remedies in cases where law enforcement agencies have policies or practices that foster a pattern of misconduct by employees. This action is directed against an agency, not against individual officers. The types of issues which may initiate a pattern and practice investigation include:
Lack of supervision/monitoring of officers’ actions;
Lack of justification or reporting by officers on incidents involving the use of force;
Lack of, or improper training of, officers; and
Citizen complaint processes that treat complainants as adversaries.
Under Title 42, U.S.C., Section 1997, the Department of Justice has the ability to initiate civil actions against mental hospitals, retardation facilities, jails, prisons, nursing homes, and juvenile detention facilities when there are allegations of systemic derivations of the constitutional rights of institutionalized persons.
The FBI is dedicated to eliminating transnational organized crime groups that threaten the national and economic security of the United States. Using the criminal and civil provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the FBI works with agencies in the U.S. and worldwide to target the organizations responsible for a variety of crimes.
Transnational organized crime (TOC) groups are associations of individuals who operate, wholly or in part, by illegal means. There is no single structure under which TOC groups function—they vary from hierarchies to clans, networks, and cells, and may evolve into other structures.
These groups are typically insular and protect their activities through corruption, violence, international commerce, complex communication mechanisms, and an organizational structure that spans national boundaries.
With few exceptions, TOC groups are looking to make money. TOC groups often commit crimes such as:
drug trafficking
migrant smuggling
human trafficking
money laundering
firearms trafficking
illegal gambling
extortion
creating and selling counterfeit goods
wildlife and cultural property smuggling
cyber crime
The vast sums of money involved can compromise legitimate economies and have a direct impact on governments through the corruption of public officials.
Today, TOC groups are more commonly incorporating cyber techniques into their illicit activities, either committing cyber crimes themselves or using cyber tools to facilitate other crimes. Technology also enables TOC groups to engage in traditional criminal activity, such as illegal gambling, but with a greater reach.
TOC poses a significant and growing threat to national and international security with dire implications for public safety, public health, democratic institutions, and economic stability across the globe. It jeopardizes our border security, endangers our health through human trafficking and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, and seeks to corrupt officials domestically and abroad.
To combat the ongoing threat posed by these groups, the FBI has a long-established—yet constantly evolving—transnational organized crime program dedicated to eliminating the criminal enterprises that pose the greatest threat to America.
Due to the transnational nature of these criminal enterprises, the FBI leverages relationships domestically and abroad to combat the influence and reach of these organized crime groups. The Bureau deploys subject matter experts to international locations to develop strategies to address TOC matters impacting the region, as well as to identify targets of mutual interest.
The FBI also participates in selecting TOC groups to appear on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Top International Criminal Organizations Target List and contributes to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control efforts to pursue criminal enterprises. Further, to pool resources and leverage technical and investigative expertise, the Bureau participates in many organized crime task forces with our state and local law enforcement partners.
African TOC groups have developed quickly since the 1980s due to globalization and advances in technology. Nigerian criminal enterprises are the most significant of these groups and operate in more than 80 countries of the world, including the United States. They are primarily engaged in drug trafficking and financial fraud, including a number of internet-enabled crime and scams.
Asian TOC groups have been operating in the United States since the early 1900s. Asian criminal enterprises conduct traditional racketeering activities normally associated with organized crime—extortion, murder, kidnapping, illegal gambling, prostitution, and loansharking. They also engage in smuggling, traffic heroin and methamphetamine, commit financial fraud, steal cars and computer chips, counterfeit computer and clothing products, and engage in money laundering.
Balkan TOC groups are adept at adopting new technologies, thus increasing their ability to expand their criminal market base through cyber-enabled fraud. These groups also engage in passport fraud, access device fraud, identify theft, healthcare fraud, real estate fraud, insurance fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, human smuggling, prostitution, and extortion.
Eurasian TOC groups are politically and financially motivated organized crime groups influenced by, associated with, or originating from the former Soviet Union or Central Europe. Eurasian TOC groups often engage in healthcare fraud, securities and investment fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking, extortion, auto theft, interstate transportation of stolen property, robbery, attempted murder, and murder.
Their activity also threatens to destabilize the emerging political institutions and economies of the former Soviet Union, where nuclear weapons remain deployed. The potential national security implications of this destabilization cannot be ignored.
Since their appearance in the 1800s, Italian organized crime groups, broadly known as the Italian Mafia, have infiltrated the social and economic fabric of Italy and have become transnational in nature. Within Italy, there are four active groups: Cosa Nostra (Sicilian Mafia), Camorra, ’Ndrangheta, and Sacra Corona Unita. They are also known to collaborate with other international organized crime groups.
In the United States, there are several Mafia groups operating under the La Cosa Nostra name. The major threats to American society posed by these groups are drug trafficking and money laundering. They also are involved in illegal gambling, political corruption, extortion, kidnapping, fraud, counterfeiting, murders, bombings, weapons trafficking, and the infiltration of legitimate businesses.
Read more about the history of La Cosa Nostra and the Genovese Crime Family.
Criminal groups with associations to the Middle East have been active in the U.S. since at least the 1970s, particularly in areas with significant Middle Eastern or Southwest Asian populations.
Middle Eastern transnational criminal organizations typically engage in automobile theft, financial fraud, money laundering, interstate transportation of stolen property, smuggling, drug trafficking, document fraud, health care fraud, identity fraud, cigarette smuggling, trademark counterfeiting and sales of counterfeit goods, and the theft and redistribution of infant formula. They may use small storefronts as bases for criminal operations.
The FBI remains focused on efforts to counter the activities of Mexican, Central American, and South American transnational criminal organizations—including illicit finance and money laundering activities and the flow of illegal drugs. The FBI works side-by-side with its domestic and international partners to infiltrate, disrupt, and dismantle these groups by targeting their leadership.
Major theft crimes have a devastating impact on the U.S. economy, not only contributing to the rise of consumer prices but also to the loss of tax revenues to states and communities. The FBI focuses its resources on the most egregious major theft activity that crosses state and sometimes international lines, particularly thefts of:
art
cargo
jewelry and gems
retail
vehicles
The FBI works side by side with state and local law enforcement on task forces and in partnership with many industry groups. The FBI uses sophisticated techniques, including undercover operations and court-authorized surveillance, to identify and dismantle the criminal networks that commit these major thefts.
Art Theft
Art theft is the illicit trade in art and cultural artifacts. Although tremendous strides have been made to combat cultural property crime, intelligence reveals this is a growing global threat, demanding proactive FBI measures and resources. The FBI established the National Stolen Art File (NSAF) – a computerized index of stolen art and cultural property as reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. and internationally. It also formed a specialized Art Crime Team to investigate art and cultural crime cases.
Read more about our Art Theft Program
Cargo Theft
Cargo theft is a high priority due to its economic damage, negative impact on the retail supply chain, disruptive nature on the flow of commerce, and the potential for significant health and safety implications. Health and safety issues arise from the theft and resale of food and beverages, health and beauty aids, and prescription and over-the-counter medicines and pharmaceuticals.
Jewelry and gem thefts are often committed by organized criminal enterprises who rely on sophisticated thieves and stolen property markets. Jewelry and gem theft investigations can be extremely complex, national or international in scope, and require a specialized knowledge of the jewelry industry and how it operates.
Read more about our Jewelry and Gem Theft Program.
Organized crime groups often use the money made from illegal gambling to fund other criminal activities, like the trafficking of humans, drugs, and weapons. These operations may also be involved in tax evasion and money laundering.
Read more about illegal sports betting and the FBI's Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative.
Organized retail theft causes higher prices for American consumers and less sales tax revenue for state and local governments.
The FBI focuses on the most significant retail theft cases involving the interstate transportation of stolen property as organized retail theft is a gateway crime. Major crime rings use the illicit proceeds to fund other crimes like health care fraud, money laundering, and potentially terrorism.
The FBI focuses its resources on disrupting and dismantling the most sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional criminal organizations responsible for the interstate and international trafficking of stolen vehicles, especially those that use the criminal proceeds from vehicle theft to fund other criminal activity.
Reportedly coined in 1939, the term white-collar crime is now synonymous with the full range of frauds committed by business and government professionals. These crimes are characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and are not dependent on the application or threat of physical force or violence. The motivation behind these crimes is financial—to obtain or avoid losing money, property, or services or to secure a personal or business advantage.
These are not victimless crimes. A single scam can destroy a company, devastate families by wiping out their life savings, or cost investors billions of dollars (or even all three). Today’s fraud schemes are more sophisticated than ever, and the FBI is dedicated to using its skills to track down the culprits and stop scams before they start.
The FBI’s white-collar crime work integrates the analysis of intelligence with its investigations of criminal activities such as public corruption, money laundering, corporate fraud, securities and commodities fraud, mortgage fraud, financial institution fraud, bank fraud and embezzlement, fraud against the government, election law violations, mass marketing fraud, and health care fraud. The FBI generally focuses on complex investigations—often with a nexus to organized crime activities—that are international, national, or regional in scope and where the FBI can bring to bear unique expertise or capabilities that increase the likelihood of successful investigations.
FBI special agents work closely with partner law enforcement and regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, among others, targeting sophisticated, multi-layered fraud cases that harm the economy.
Corporate Fraud
Corporate fraud continues to be one of the FBI’s highest criminal priorities—in addition to causing significant financial losses to investors, corporate fraud has the potential to cause immeasurable damage to the U.S. economy and investor confidence. As the lead agency investigating corporate fraud, the Bureau focuses its efforts on cases that involve accounting schemes, self-dealing by corporate executives, and obstruction of justice.
The majority of corporate fraud cases pursued by the FBI involve accounting schemes designed to deceive investors, auditors, and analysts about the true financial condition of a corporation or business entity. Through the manipulation of financial data, the share price, or other valuation measurements of a corporation, financial performance may remain artificially inflated based on fictitious performance indicators provided to the investing public.
The FBI’s corporate fraud investigations primarily focus on the following activities:
Falsification of financial information
False accounting entries and/or misrepresentations of financial condition;
Fraudulent trades designed to inflate profits or hide losses; and
Illicit transactions designed to evade regulatory oversight.
Self-dealing by corporate insiders
Insider trading (trading based on material, non-public information);
Kickbacks;
Misuse of corporate property for personal gain; and
Individual tax violations related to self-dealing.
Fraud in connection with an otherwise legitimately operated mutual hedge fund
Late trading;
Certain market timing schemes; and
Falsification of net asset values.
Obstruction of justice designed to conceal any of the above-noted types of criminal conduct, particularly when the obstruction impedes the inquiries of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), other regulatory agencies, and/or law enforcement agencies.
The FBI has formed partnerships with numerous agencies to capitalize on their experience in specific areas such as securities, taxes, pensions, energy, and commodities. The Bureau has placed greater emphasis on investigating allegations of these frauds by working closely with the SEC, CFTC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The FBI's top priorities are national security threats, but the Bureau also continues to play a key role in combating violent crime in big cities and local communities across the United States.
The FBI concentrates on crime problems that pose major threats to American society. Significant violent crime incidents such as mass killings, sniper murders, and serial killings can paralyze entire communities and stretch state and local law enforcement resources to their limits.
The FBI has the authority to investigate specific violent crimes committed against Americans and American interests overseas, and in some instances, crimes committed by Americans overseas. Those crimes include non-terrorism related hostage-takings and kidnappings, killings and assaults of U.S. federal officers and other internationally-protected individuals, violent crimes on U.S. Government property, and murders of U.S. nationals by other U.S. nationals. Additionally, the FBI investigates crimes aboard aircraft (both domestic and international flights) and crimes on the high seas like piracy and cruise ship violations involving U.S.-affiliated vessels or U.S. persons. The FBI also works to track down U.S. wanted fugitives who flee overseas.
FBI international violent crime investigations are worked collaboratively with our international law enforcement partners, our network of legal attaché offices around the world, and our federal law enforcement partners.
The FBI is the lead federal agency for responding to threats from weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Bureau investigates and collects intelligence on WMD-related threats and incidents to prevent attacks and respond to them when they occur.
Established in 2006, the WMD Directorate (WMDD) is part of the FBI’s National Security Branch. The WMDD leads the FBI’s efforts to mitigate threats from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive weapons.
A WMD is defined by U.S. law as any of the following:
A destructive device, such as an explosive or incendiary bomb, rocket, or grenade;
A weapon that is designed to cause death or serious injury through toxic or poisonous chemicals;
A weapon that contains a biological agent or toxin; or
A weapon that is designed to release dangerous levels of radiation or radioactivity.
The WMDD provides leadership and expertise to domestic and foreign law enforcement, academia, and industry partners on WMD issues. The FBI approaches these issues through four major areas: preparedness, countermeasures, investigations/operations, and intelligence.
The WMDD prepares the FBI and its U.S. government partners to respond to WMD threats by developing comprehensive strategic and operational plans. Training exercises not only enhance the FBI’s capabilities, but they also improve collaboration with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
A critical part of the FBI’s work in preventing and responding to WMD attacks are special agents who serve as WMD coordinators in all 56 field offices and in some overseas FBI offices. WMD coordinators build relationships with partners in law enforcement and the private sector. The goal of these relationships is to promote information sharing and ensure the FBI has an early warning of emerging WMD threats.
As part of the countermeasures program, WMDD personnel work with academic and industry partners to protect advances in scientific research and biotechnology development and to prevent the misuse of biological knowledge, material, and technology. The WMDD also supports U.S. health security in part by coordinating with Global Health Security Agenda partners to prevent, detect, and respond to biological incidents.
The WMDD manages WMD-related investigations and leads the FBI’s coordination and investigative response to those threats and incidents. In addition to U.S. operations, WMDD agents in international locations assist host countries with training and WMD response, as appropriate.
Intelligence-driven investigations help the FBI and its U.S. government partners prevent and respond to WMD incidents. The WMDD’s intelligence analysts develop relevant and actionable intelligence related to WMD threats, including intelligence on WMD proliferation and other criminal activities.