Internet FraudBy Brianna Byard

What is it? The Internet is a place where you

can buy products, meet people, and socialize. But it is very easy for people to pretend to be someone else/ be anonymous. So it is very easy to be scammed.

There are many emerging Internet Frauds, but it can be hard to spot them when it’s over the computer. It is when someone uses scams, using elements of the Internet to deprive someone of property or any interest.

Types of Internet Fraud Auction Fraud Identity Theft Advanced Free Fraud Credit Card Fraud Non-delivery of purchased items

Current ScamsAuction Scam:It is when products are misrepresented on auction sites ( i.e. Ebay, Amazon) and/or the products are not delivered to the buyer from the website. Signs of Auction Fraud: The seller posts the auction as if he resides in

the United States, then responds to victims with a congratulatory email stating he is outside the United States for business reasons, family emergency, etc. Similarly, beware of sellers who post the auction under one name, and ask for the funds to be transferred to another individual.

The subject requests funds to be wired directly to him/her via Western Union, MoneyGram, or bank-to-bank wire transfer. By using these services, the money is virtually unrecoverable with no recourse for the victim.

Credit Card Scam: When somebody uses an invalid credit card to make purchases. The card numbers can be obtained from unsecured websites or even a identity theft cases.

Tips for Avoiding Internet Fraud Some tips are: Not give out your credit card number to

non-secure sites Be cautious to sellers that are outside

of the United States Don’t reply to messages asking for

personal information

Statistics Auction Spams are the most

common at 44.9% complaints 30% of people complained about

fraud through e-mail Check frauds had complaints of

about 4.9%

Frequent Questions Asked About Internet FraudI purchased an item from an online dealer and haven’t received the product?

Report it to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov)

How can I avoid Internet fraud? Never give out personal information

(i.e Social security number) or any other information that is important.

Citations http://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx#item-18 http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud/internet_fraud http://www.spamlaws.com/internet-fraud-stats.html http://www.project.org/info.php?recordID=166 http://www.ripoffrepairs.com/