Help for U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime

The State Department helps U.S. citizens who are victims of crime abroad. Here is information on how we help overseas and in the United States.

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If you are the victim of a crime overseas, you may suffer from physical, emotional, or financial harm.

  • Resources and contacts vary by country and type of crime. Review our country information page for your destination. It has information and resources. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, or, the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services. Call us at (888) 407-4747 (from the U.S. or Canada) or (202) 501-4444(from overseas). Consular officers are available for emergency help. They're available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.

How Consular Sections Can Help:

  • Replace a lost or stolen passport.
  • Contact family, friends, or employers in accordance with the Privacy Act.
  • Provide information about available medical care.
  • Explain financial assistance options. For example, aid to return to the United States.
  • If applicable, request an update from the local authorities on the status of your case in the local criminal justice process.
  • Connect you to local, state, federal and international resources for victims of crime.
  • Provide a list of local lawyers who speak English.

Consular Sections Cannot:

  • Investigate crimes,
  • Provide legal advice or represent you in court,
  • Serve as official interpreters or translators, or
  • Pay legal, medical, or other expenses for you.

General Victim Assistance:

Sexual Assault: 

  • RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network): Toll-free 24/7 hotline for sexual assault counseling and referrals: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also offers an online website hotline. It provides live, secure, anonymous crisis support for victims of sexual violence, their friends, and families. The Online Hotline is free of charge and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • (NSVRC) National Sexual Violence Resource Center: A non-profit which provides resources and information on sexual assault. NSVRC also has a state directory of organizations that provide services to survivors of sexual assault. 

Homicide:

Domestic Violence:

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 24/7 hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence.  The Hotline offers free and confidential support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages: 1-800-799-SAFE or 1-800-799-7233. 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
  • National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers a safe home and shelter programs, public education, and technical assistance. They also have a list of state and international organizations that can assist domestic violence victims: 303-839-1852.

Early and Forced Marriage:

Child Exploitation and Child Sexual Abuse Material:

  • FBI Online Tip Reporting Form: Online reporting form through the Federal Bureau of Investigation which investigates cases of online child exploitation.
  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tipline (NCMEC): Online reporting tool for child sexual exploitation in any country (including suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, extra-familial child sexual molestation, child pornography, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images). English or Spanish language is supported or call 1-800-843-5678. NCMEC operates this tipline 24/7 and the FBI reviews reports from the NCMEC Cyber Tipline on a continuous basis. NCMEC operates this tipline 24/7 and the FBI reviews reports from the NCMEC Cyber Tipline on a continuous basis.
  • NCMEC’s Take It Down Online Reporting Tool: NCMEC run online reporting tool used to assist removing explicit photos of children online.

Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C):

Fact sheets on FGM/C from the U.S. Department of State are available in the following languages:

Financial Scams and Fraud:

Human Trafficking:

Terrorism:

Miscellaneous Crisis Hotlines and Victim Services Programs:

  • The Trevor Project: Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number where confidential assistance is provided by trained counselors.
  • National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
  • U.S. State Victim Compensation Programs: All states receive federal funds from the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime to support local victim assistance and victim compensation programs. In the aftermath of an act of terrorism or mass violence occurring outside the United States, some states offer U.S. citizens crime victim compensation benefits for lost wages incurred because of the crime.  Victim compensation benefits are governed by the applicable state statutes, so eligibility may vary among states. Contact the victim compensation program in your state for more information about eligibility and the application process so you can refer victims to them. 

Disclaimer

The information above is provided for general information only and may not be applicable in a particular case. You should ask private legal counsel about interpreting specific U.S. or foreign laws.

This site is managed by the U.S. Department of State. External links to other Internet sites and listings of private entities on this page are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as the U.S. Department of State or U.S. government endorsement of the entity, its views, the products or services it provides, or the accuracy of information contained therein. The order in which links appear has no significance, and the listings or links may be removed at any time at the discretion of the Department.

Last Updated: August 19, 2024