Victims of Crime

The State Department is committed to assisting U.S. citizens who become victims of crime while abroad. We help in two ways:

Overseas: consular officers, agents, and staff work with crime victims and help them with the local police and medical systems.
In the United States: our office of Overseas Citizens Services will stay in touch with family members in the United States, and help provide U.S.-based resources for the victim when possible.

If you are the victim of a crime overseas:

Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate:
- Consular officers are available for emergency assistance 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
- Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas can be found here or by going to our individual Country Specific Information pages.
- To contact the Department of State in the U.S. call 1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. or Canada) or (202) 501-4444 (from overseas).
- Contact the local police to report the incident and get immediate help. Request a copy of the police report.