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Nearly
all crime that once was committed in person,
by mail, or over the telephone can be committed
virtually over the Internet. That
statement made by the Internet Crime Complaint
Center (IC3) may seem matter-of-fact, but
can really be such an inevitable piece of
reality if you spend any substantial amount
of time online. Whether you are social networking,
bill paying, emailing, shopping or running
a business online, you run the risk of an
upsetting setback in your life. Granted,
there are many virus protection and security
packages for purchase that help tremendously,
but along with all the latest and greatest
come the constant advancement of technology.
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Article
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Mass
Market
Fraud |
ICC
Flyer | ICC Poster
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So
what do you do if you become a victim
of internet crime? Did you know that
there is a website for victims of cyber
crime that is geared toward filing complaints?
This site is the Internet Crime Complaint
Center (IC3) www.IC3.gov and it was designed
to help address all types of cyber crime
through their complaint system. Their
job is to receive, develop and refer
criminal complaints to law enforcement
agencies for investigation and prosecution
of cyber crimes. They also provide analytical
support for cyber crime investigations
and prosecutions. ¹
The IC3 is a partnership between the
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI),
the National White Collar Crime Center
(NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance
(BJA). The IC3 gives the victims
of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use
reporting
mechanism that alerts authorities of
suspected criminal or civil violations. (www.IC3.gov)
COMMON CYBER SCAMS
- Charity
- Counterfeit
Cashiers Check
- Foreign
Lotteries
- Investment
- Mortgage
- Romance
- Telemarketing
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The
The IC3 2009 Annual Report on
Internet Crime released on March
12, 2010 shows a substantial
increase (22.3%) from last year.
The
top two scams: (1) Advanced Fee
Scams that fraudulently used
the FBI’s name (16.6%),
and (2) Non-delivery of merchandise
and/or payment (11.9%). |
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Now
that you have seen the recent
number of cyber crime complaints
actually reported, can you
imagine how many more are out
there but victims are not aware
that they have a place to report
such a crime?
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IC3
has suggestions for you! – What
you should look for:
- Being
asked for personal financial
information such as bank account
information or credit card
numbers via the telephone or
by email.
- Using
high-pressure sales tactics so
as not to give you time to think
about the information you are providing.
- Being
told you have won a foreign lottery
or sweepstakes.
- Being
asked to help transfer funds
out of a foreign country
for a share of the money.
- Being
offered help in repairing credit
scores for an advanced fee.
- The
receiving a counterfeit casher’s
check or money orders
for more than the cost of the
item
you are selling.
IC3 asks you to remain vigilant:
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RESOURCES:
¹ Internet
Crime Complaint Center - www.IC3.gov
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3’s
Useful Links for your
reference and protection: |
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Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI)
www.fbi.gov
Learn about the FBI’s mission
and what to do if you are a victim
of Mass Marketing Fraud.
Better Business Bureau
(BBB)
www.bbb.org
The BBB provides objective, unbiased,
information on businesses.
American Association
of Retired Persons
www.aarp.org
A nonprofit, nonpartisan membership
organization that helps people 50 and
over.
Consumer Website
www.LooksToGoodToBeTrue.com
A collaborative effort to educate consumers
about Internet fraud.
On Guard Online
www.onGuardonline.gov
Provides practical tips from the federal
government and the technology regarding
Internet fraud, computer security,
and personal information.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
www.irs.gov
Allows consumers to verify charitable
organizations in an effort to avoid
charity fraud.
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