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Reporting something on the internet to the FBI

override367override367 ALL minionsRegistered User regular
edited November 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
Lets say online you run into some very bad things, is there a safe way to report it to the authorities (because you want said very bad things to be dealt with) but not get yourself arrested because the law is written so that anyone who comes in contact with said things is automatically a criminal regardless of the circumstances

I'm not saying what or where, for obvious reasons, use your imagination, I just don't want to get arrested for drug dealing because I spotted a bag of crack on the side of the road and pointed it out to a cop

override367 on

Posts

  • MaguanoMaguano Registered User regular
    go to a library (or some other 'free/anonymous" computer and send it to the fbi from there?

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  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited November 2011
    Sounds great, normally I wouldn't bother but... as someone who's been vising /b/ for years, I was shocked

    I think that means I should probably do something about it

    override367 on
  • Penguin-FactoryPenguin-Factory Registered User regular
    If someone posted this stuff to a board or website that doesn't normally contain things like that I don't think you're going to be in trouble. They'll know you were exposed to it through the actions of other people, rather than intentionally going looking for it.

    Assuming I'm correctly interpreting the situation here, the same thing has happened to me and it is pretty shocking. In my case I just assumed the board moderators reported it though.

  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    The FBI has an anonymous tip line and you can also use tips.fbi.gov (very little of the info in the form is required, and if you're worried about IP tracing you can post from a public computer or through an overseas proxy or something.)

    If you saw some child-related stuff and don't want to go directly to the government because of retarded laws about what constitutes possession/trafficking, you can try these guys: http://www.asacp.org/index.php?content=report

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  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited November 2011
    Penguin-Factory wrote:
    If someone posted this stuff to a board or website that doesn't normally contain things like that I don't think you're going to be in trouble. They'll know you were exposed to it through the actions of other people, rather than intentionally going looking for it.

    Assuming I'm correctly interpreting the situation here, the same thing has happened to me and it is pretty shocking. In my case I just assumed the board moderators reported it though.

    No I was looking for porn, to be honest, just not... that

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. wrote:
    The FBI has an anonymous tip line and you can also use tips.fbi.gov (very little of the info in the form is required, and if you're worried about IP tracing you can post from a public computer or through an overseas proxy or something.)

    If you saw some child-related stuff and don't want to go directly to the government because of retarded laws about what constitutes possession/trafficking, you can try these guys: http://www.asacp.org/index.php?content=report

    That is tremendously helpful, I reported it to my newsgroup host already and gonna on that site as well, thanks

    override367 on
  • TraceofToxinTraceofToxin King Nothing Registered User regular
    If you were looking for legal porn and found illegal porn you won't get in any trouble at all. They will usually work with you on it.

    If you're reporting /b/ however, I'm just going to give you some advice, the FBI already knows.

    Everyday I wake up is the worst day of my life.
  • FantasmaFantasma Registered User regular
    You should be careful on this one, some places are honeypots, used by law enforcements to monitor who visit those places. I really think you won't accomplish much, and you could get in trouble in the process.

    Was this a pay site?

    Hear my warnings, unbelievers. We have raised altars in this land so that we may sacrifice you to our gods. There is no hope in opposing the inevitable. Put down your arms, unbelievers, and bow before the forces of Chaos!
  • melting_dollmelting_doll Registered User regular
    I'd say report it. You don't want to regret it. If it was a pay site, or a place where it's possible, you don't want to get tracked down and accused later, saying "well I wanted to mention it before but I didn't".

    butts
  • CasualCasual Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Flap Flap Flap Registered User regular
    TraceofToxin wrote:

    If you're reporting /b/ however, I'm just going to give you some advice, the FBI already knows.

    This. It's hardly the best kept secret in the world that some sick fucks on /b/ like to post CP in violation of the sites rules. It's the number one reason I stopped going there. I was tired of being paranoid that one day I would have to explain that I really didn't want to have that shit on my PC it was just on a web page that I happened to view. My advice to you is to avoid /b/, the other boards don't generally have the same problems with illegal content showing up that /b/ does.

    If you're really worried about the fallout to yourself I would suggest getting some eraser software and giving your HD a good scrub.

  • TraceofToxinTraceofToxin King Nothing Registered User regular
    As someone involved in law enforcement I'm just going to let you guys know that you're not going to get in trouble if you load /b/ and there's cp. The man can tell the difference between something cached in your temporary files and something you've viewed numerous times and/or downloaded.

    Everyday I wake up is the worst day of my life.
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Really, the best advice anyone can give you is to tell you to stay the fuck away from 4chan and its kind (7chan, 12chan).

    Occasionally there may be something funny or clever posted, but you have to wade through rivers of sewage for hours on end to find it.

    Do yourself a favour and forget it even exists. It's a cesspool frequented in the majority by the kind of people you wouldn't piss on if they were on fire in real life.

  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    edited November 2011
    4chan does it's best to keep CP off of it. SA will ban and report paedophiles. The only place on the internet that supports CP is Reddit, assuming that is what the OP is talking about.

    CaptainNemo on
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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Not sure if serious...

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • UltimaBuddyUltimaBuddy Registered User regular
    edited November 2011
    override367 wrote:
    Sounds great, normally I wouldn't bother but... as someone who's been visiting /b/ for years, I was shocked

    I'm not telling you how to write your posts, but, in the future, you might want to highlight certain sections for emphasis.

    UltimaBuddy on
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  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    It's /b/, son. It's the grand filter of 4chan. Catching the majority of the crap while the good stuff and the rest of the crap flows into boards like /a/, /co/, /v/, etc.

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  • WassermeloneWassermelone Registered User regular
    CaptainNemo wrote:
    The only place on the internet that supports CP is Reddit, assuming that is what the OP is talking about.

    What? I don't think thats true.

    http://steamcommunity.com/id/wassemelone
  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator mod
    Yeah we don't need to turn this into a n-chan discussion thread.

    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    Wassermelone wrote:
    CaptainNemo wrote:
    The only place on the internet that supports CP is Reddit, assuming that is what the OP is talking about.

    What? I don't think thats true.

    Jailbait boards.

    PSN:CaptainNemo1138
    Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
  • WassermeloneWassermelone Registered User regular
    edited November 2011
    CaptainNemo wrote:
    Wassermelone wrote:
    CaptainNemo wrote:
    The only place on the internet that supports CP is Reddit, assuming that is what the OP is talking about.

    What? I don't think thats true.

    Jailbait boards.

    Which were eventually banned. I mean there's plenty of valid reasons to hate on reddit but that isn't one of them.

    Anyway, off topic.

    *edit to respond below
    You may be right, but I certainly don't even want to go check :/

    Fair enough!

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  • CaptainNemoCaptainNemo Registered User regular
    Wassermelone wrote:
    CaptainNemo wrote:
    Wassermelone wrote:
    CaptainNemo wrote:
    The only place on the internet that supports CP is Reddit, assuming that is what the OP is talking about.

    What? I don't think thats true.

    Jailbait boards.

    Which were eventually banned. I mean there's plenty of valid reasons to hate on reddit but that isn't one of them.

    Anyway, off topic.

    They got put back up due to popular demand. Anyway, that's offtopic. Back to the OP, I don't think there's much you can do about an anonymous internet post. Good luck though.

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  • The EnderThe Ender Registered User regular
    Are we allowed to post FBI hotline numbers in threads like this?

    With Love and Courage
  • LilnoobsLilnoobs Alpha Queue Registered User regular
    Well, someone got an infraction in the OWS thread for posting a publicly available phone number, so I would guess not.

  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    Mayor Bloomberg's home phone number is not a government agency you can contact. Big difference.

  • UltimaBuddyUltimaBuddy Registered User regular
    Skoal Cat wrote:
    Mayor Bloomberg's home phone number is not a government agency you can contact. Big difference.

    What kind of minor celebrity has a publicly available home phone number?

    Either he's a really good sport, or he's asking for it.

    And by "it", I mean "Is your refrigerator running?"-type antics

    LoL: UltraBuddy
  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited November 2011
    For clarification, what I saw wasn't on 4chan, it was a newsgroup, I use a paid newshosting service. After checking their site, they seem to be serious about taking down anything like this

    override367 on
  • TraceofToxinTraceofToxin King Nothing Registered User regular
    Report it or go on your way. If you didn't download the file or click obviously incriminating links, you have nothing to worry about.

    Everyday I wake up is the worst day of my life.
  • tardcoretardcore Registered User regular
    A while ago, someone on /b/ linked to a website that was soliciting child prostitution. I phoned the FBI immediately and they told me to fill out a form they had on the official FBI website.

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