How to Contact the FBI

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, was established in 1908 and is a national security organization that aims to uphold American laws and defend the country from foreign terrorist threats. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the FBI has more than 50 field offices in the United States and more than 60 offices located throughout the world. You should contact the FBI if you have information regarding an issue of national security or terrorist activity, a tip on major fraud or organized crime, or want to report police corruption. There are a few different ways to contact them and submit your information.

1 Access

Access the official government website of the FBI to submit an online tip or public lead to the authorities. You will be asked to fill out your name and other personal information, including your address and phone number, before submitting your tip in detail. A special agent or other member of the professional staff will review the information you provided. FBI agents sometimes can't respond to every submission, but they will make note of what you provided them and will follow up if necessary.

2 Send a tip or complaint or

Send a tip or complaint by United States Postal Service to FBI headquarters, located at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C. 20535. You can also call the FBI's central number, (202) 324-3000. You may first want to contact someone at a local FBI office. Look at the map of field offices on the FBI website to locate an office in your area. You can visit in person or call during the specified business hours.

3 Email a regional field office

Email a regional field office if you would like to submit your information locally but avoid a phone call or visit. From the map of field offices, you can select your nearest location and find the email address associated with the staff there. Compose your email and send it to the office's address. Include as much personal information as you can, and describe your report or tip in detail and with clarity. The FBI headquarters does not currently offer an email address for its location in Washington.

Lauren Tyree started writing professionally in 2010 as a staff writer for Poptimal. She has penned articles and essays since childhood. Tyree earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology at Vassar College and her Master of Arts in communication at Regent University.

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