One Year Later
Inside the FBI: Internet Tip Line
With David Rushing
Supervisory Special Agent
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2002; 1 p.m. ET

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a public access center was created by the FBI in rapid response to the attacks. The center is comprised of an Internet tipline and telephone tipline. The Internet tipline has received over 400,000 tips from around the globe -- from which over 85,000 leads have been sent to FBI Field and Legal Attache Offices for action.

Initially, almost 100 percent of the tips received were related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Now, approximately 45 percent of all tips received are related to almost every other FBI criminal program -- drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, pyramid schemes, child pornography, fugitives, and bank robbery.

Join Supervisory Special Agent David Rushing as he discusses the public access center, the FBI's Internet tipline and telephone tipline.

NOTE: Per the FBI's request, please DO NOT use this forum to post crime leads or solicitations to investigate matters. If you have an emergency, please contact the nearest FBI office or, if outside the United States, contact the nearest Legal Attachι office.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

David Rushing : I would like to welcome everyone to the FBI's Live Chat hosted by the Washington Post. The FBI Headquarters' Internet Team was created as a rapid response to the terrorist attacks on America. We received our first terrorist tip at 10:31 AM on 9/11/2001. Thus far, we have received well over 400,000 tips that cover all types of criminal activity - not just terrorism. And we welcome them all. Numerous investigations have been initiated, with scores of arrests. I will try to answer each of your questions within the time allotted me. Remember, "FBI.GOV" is where to go to communicate with us. Your tip is reviewed within minutes, and Agents set a lead to one of our field offices for investigation within the hour, if warranted.

North Ogden, Utah: What kinds of tips should a person report? Sometimes there are things that look suspicious but could also be legitimate activities.

David Rushing : We encourage you to submit tips on any type of suspected criminal activity. Terrorism, crimes against children, money laundering, drugs, etc. We process them all.

Baltimore County, Md.: I assumed the line was manned by all FBI agents, but was told some of the personnel handling the line were police. Did you find this a good idea?

David Rushing : You were misinformed. Only FBI personnel, both Agent and professional support review the tips. There is no exception.

Minnesota: What does the FBI do with the leads? Being anonymous is very important to me. If the FBI were to just check out information that I mightwithout being discreet than I could get into trouble. Is this a safe idea for regular people who want to help?

David Rushing : What we do with the information depends on the nature of the information submitted. You are not required to submit your name or any identifying information to us. Even if you chose to do so, you may request confidentiality, and it will be respected. However, if there is information that needs contact with the tipster, we attempt to email that individual with a request for more information. If we receive an anonymous threat, we will trace the sender of the threat, and take appropriate action.

Fairfax, Va.: If you have heard someone close to you mention someone that seems really iffy, maybe scary, and the person you know won't make a tip, what should you do?

Can you make a hearsay tip? How would the FBI respond to something like that?

David Rushing : That's a tough one. We can't force someone to voluntarity contact us. However, we receive many tips where a "friend" notifies us that someone, whom they name, is in posession of certain information. On those occasions, we contact the original tipster, and ask that person to contact the friend to encourage them to contact us. They can request confidentiality, as I stated.

Reading, Pa.: This week, I flew on four separate flights and was thoroughly screened and bags "ripped apart." I have plastic arch supports in my sneakers and nobody questioned them. If these plastic inserts had been plastic explosives, it could be a problem. This is just a suggestion to screen for these items. By the way, is there any way for citizens to suggest to the FBI ways that terrorists could hit us? It seems to me that tapping the imagination and "common sense" of everyday Americans on this issue could be a good source of ideas for the Bureau.

David Rushing : A great many of our tips come from citizens who offer their thoughts regarding ways that our security could possibly be compromised. This question is a very good example. I will pass this information along to our Transportation Security Administration Agent who is assigned to FBI Headquarters and works from the recently created National Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Rocville, Md.: Did your tip line receive any complaints of the civil rights/voting rights violations that occurred in Florida on Tuesday?

David Rushing : None that have been brought to my attention. I have an Agent checking, and I should have the answer shortly.

Buffalo, N.Y.: Can I or should I contact the field office with tips. Do you share e-mails with them or vice versa?

David Rushing : We encourage the public to contact their local FBI office. The Internet Tip Line is an innovative medium for enhanced access to the FBI, night or day, 365 days a year. Certainly, if the matter is urgent, the person should call their local FBI office, or appropriate local law enforcement authorities.

Catonsville, Md.: Why were you chosen to work on this project and how many employees do you have assisting you? What is the expertise needed to assist in this project?

David Rushing : The FBI created this operation early on 9/11, and I was instrumental in its formulation. I have a cadre of Agent and professional support working for me - enough to handle the volume that we receive. This number rises and falls depending upon this volume.

Rockville, Md.: It's good to see the FBI getting on-line. I understand that prior to Sept. 11, the FBI couldn't even email a photo to a field office.

David Rushing : Not exactly true. All of our field offices have web sites, with email access. However, this operation represents the first centralized access, for "one stop tipping."

Wheaton, Md.: Has this new program been linked to the prevention of a major terrorist attack or other crime?

David Rushing : Absolutely! When we receive information of a threat, it is IMMEDIATELY provided to the relevent field office, other appropriate federal, state, and local agencies, and to our Counterterrorism Division here at Headquarters. We received an anonymous threat to bomb the Seattle Space Needle, and within eight hours that individual had been identified and, since he resided in the UK, was arrested as a joint effort by the FBI and Scotland Yard. This works.

Jacksonville, Fla.: I have been receiving e-mails and telephone calls from a person in Sierra Leon who wants to share some money with me. I saw a special on 60 Minutes and realize this is a scam. Should I forward this to anyone to prevent them from scammming others? Is there anything that can be done to stop this person?

David Rushing : This scheme is one of many variations of an advanced-fee scheme being perpetrated by individuals from various West African nations, particularly Nigeria. Victims have lost substantial funds in the past, and all requests for travel to foreign locations should be ignored. The United States Secret Service has developed an excellent, detailed description of this fraud scheme which can be accessed at http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml. Simply delete the email from your computer, and under no circumstance should you respond.

Woodlawn, Md.: How is your Tips form different from the "America's Most Wanted" form? Do you cross reference tips between the two forms? Who decides if the tip is valid or just someone's idea of a joke?

David Rushing : We are different from AMW in this way: Although we solicit information on fugitives, we want information sent to us on ANY criminal activity, from copyright infringement to murder conspiracies. AMW frequently forwards information that they receive that would more appropriately be handled by the FBI. And, we are a "lead-setting" operation, in that we direct our field offices to conduct specific and relevent investigations.

Masontown, Pa.: How come the FBI site doesn't have other ineractive form capablities? Or do they?

David Rushing : I am pleased to announce that this enhancement is around the corner. We are working with appropriate personnel from our Office of Public and Congressional Affairs office, who are charged with the management of the FBI web site. Planned enhancements include multiple tip pages, dependant upon the nature of the information to be provided. Good question - can you come to work for me?

Portola Valley, Calif.: After submitting a tip to the FBI via the Internet, I was informed that the information had been forwarded to a Field Office.

When submitting additional information via the Internet, should it be sent to the Field Office directly? Should one receive an email response from the Field Office?

washingtonpost.com: Can you clarify what kind of tips should be sent in and if there is a specific format?

David Rushing : It is entirely appropriate that the information that you provided would have been sent to a field office. That means that an Agent deemed your information "lead worthy" and gave specific directions to the field office. You received a personal email from one of my Agents informing you of the action taken. We can't do this on every occasion, of course. But, we try to send as many thank yous as possible.

As to types of information? Simply - all information that the public deems warranted for FBI review - from terrorism information such as possible target assessment activity to any other FBI criminal program. Any. The format? Until we offer our enhanced tip pages, simply go to FBI.GOV and select "Submit a Tip" at the top left. You will then submit your information in paragraph form.

You can always contact your local field office directly. No matter if you have submitted a tip or not. We encourage that this should be a "first" contact effort.

Washington, D.C.: Could you provide the email address for the Washington, DC Field Office? It doesn't appear on the FBI Field Office directory, but earlier in the online chat you said that all field offices have public email addresses.

http://washingtondc.fbi.gov/

David Rushing : OOPS! I am now informed that not all field offices post their email address on their web sites. By the way, Washington Field Office is the investigative office that is heading up the anthrax investigation, and their email address if one wants to send information directly to that investigation is AMERITHRAX@FBI.GOV. Or, submit it to us, and we get it to them immediately.

Minnesota: If someone has a tip but does not have complete information reagarding a person, such as no last name, but they have info as far as where they work and ways to find them, is that sufficient to make a tip?

David Rushing : Absolutely. Try to get as much information as possible, and then just send it to us. We'll take it from there.

London, England, UK: What if you are an American abroad? If you submit a tip to the website, are those tips studied as well? How important is it for citizens abroad to participate when they can?

David Rushing : We receive tips literally from around the globe. In many languages. We give the same scrutiny to every tip. If for investigation in the US, it will be passed to the appropriate field office. If it addresses issues abroad, we will forward the information to the appropriate Legal Attache Office in the host country for dissemination to appropriate authorities.

Baltimore County, Md.: Your fbi website said that 435,000 calls came over the line set up for the 9/11 terrorist attack, I believe at first the line did not specifally say for 9/11 only. Wasn't it changed a little later?

David Rushing : Yes, Internet tips first addressed only terrorist-related issues. Understandably. However, as the weeks passed after 9/11, the public came to view our site as a safe and reliable venue to report information regarding any suspected criminal activity. And, in response, I redesigned our tip page in November to announce that we encouraged the submission of non terrorist-related activity. That is the page that is up today.

Baltimore County, Md.: Every citizen does not have access to the internet even if then have access to a computer. When the public library is used and the tip is tampered with, reported to elements being talked about etc. What can one do? Some of this information may put the tipster at risk or make the person or organization change their agenda or go after the tipster.

David Rushing : I really don't understand the essence of the situation or the question. Please go to FBI.GOV and submit more details to me.

Washington, D.C.: Is Frederick, Md. in the D.C. Field Office region, or is that portion of the investigation coordinated through the Baltimore office?

David Rushing : Our Baltimore Field Office covers all of Maryland.

Baltimore County, Md.: I thought about what a vigilante is and I remembered the so called block watchers that exist in many Maryland communities to deter or stop criminal activity. What if some of them are the source of the criminal activity and they submit a tip on the fbi website, are they subject to possible false statements to, even though they may operate under the umbrella of the police department? I guess the same question could apply to security guards working for various agencies?

David Rushing : Generally, anyone who provides false information to the FBI is risking criminal investigation.

London, England, UK: As an American living abroad, I hear and see things happening in my community that I would like to report to the FBI. I would like to report these things to the FBI without revealing my name; however, I am afraid that when I do this, my tips won't be taken seriously. Do you know if the FBI gives serious regard to tips that are submitted anonymously?

David Rushing : Again, just because a tip is submitted anonymously, does not diminish our interest in the information. However, if it IS submitted anonymously, and there is not enough information contained therein to follow up on, we will not be able to reach out to obtain the necessary information.

Anchorage, Alaska: Have there been any instances where the Tips form has been the direct link to solving a major crime? Are rewards given to people who use the Tips form to report crimes?

David Rushing : Yes, the arrest of FBI Fugitive, Richard Lampron was a result of a tipster's information. And many other instances.

David Rushing : Time's up, unfortunately. Thank all of you for your questions. Look for upcoming enhancements to our tip page. I think that it will assist you with explaining in detail what to report, and how to report it. Have a good, and safe day. Dave

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

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