The FBI is investigating reports that the News of the World cell phone hacking scandal extends to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the AP reports.
Citing a official who requested anonymity, the AP said the agency has opened an investigation into whether the phones of 9/11 victims were compromised.
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes after several high-profile members of Congress expressed concern that the UK phone hacks—which affected family members of the July 2005 London terror bombings, as well as a young murder victim and celebrities—also included 9/11 victims.
Rep. Peter King of New York reportedly asked the FBI to investigate the accusations, while Sens. John Rockefeller and Barbara Boxer also asked the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate reports of police bribery, which could violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, they said.
"The reported allegations against News Corporation are very serious, indicate a pattern of illegal activity, and involve thousands of potential victims," Boxer wrote. "It is important to ensure that no United States laws were broken and no United States citizens were victimized."
"This raises serious questions about whether the company has broken U.S. law, and I encourage the appropriate agencies to investigate to ensure that Americans have not had their privacy violated," Rockefeller said.
If the hacks involved 9/11, "the consequences will be severe," Rockefeller warned.
The hacking controversy, meanwhile, prompted News Corp. parent company News International to shut down the News of the World; its last issue was on Sunday, after 168 years in circulation. News Corp. also abandoned plans to acquire BSkyB.