According to an FBI report from 2003 to 2004 online scams doubled with nearly
ten million new victims. This crime cost those victims nearly $5 billion of
money they could not afford to lose.
Sadly, people are continuing to
fall for online scams where identity theft is the spammers goal. These con
artists and hackers are just waiting to commit online fraud and steal your
identity.
Here are a few of the most popular online scams to be aware of
so you can avoid becoming a victim.
Phishing Scam
The
phishing scam is when a spammer sends you an email claiming to be from a
reputable bank. The email complete with authentic bank logos asks you to log in
and verify your account information.
Then the spammer captures your
account information and helps himself to your account. They sometimes will sell
your information to other criminals and you can become a victim of identity
theft.
Congratulations You've Won Scam
This email scam
tells you have won a big prize like a big screen TV or even the lottery. To
claim your prize you need to pay for the shipping and handling with your credit
card.
In the case of winning the lottery they ask for advanced fees to
cover costs. The only prize you get is discovering mysterious charges on your
credit card.
Pharming Scam
Pharming is one of the latest
online scams and rapidly growing threat that has been showing up a lot on the
Internet. The pharming scam is similar to phishing scams but with a new twist.
The pharming scam works by redirecting your Internet browser. When you
type in a website address into your web browser you are redirected without your
knowledge to a bogus site that looks identical to the genuine site.
Once
you log in with your login name and password, the information is immediately
captured by the scammer. With the pharming scam you no longer have to click an
email link for your personal information to be stolen.
The best thing to
do when you or someone you know has become a victim of one of these online scams
is to report it to the authorities. Otherwise these thieves get away without
ever getting caught.
Report online scams to The Internet Fraud Complaint
Center or (IFCC). They are a partnership between the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). Their web
address is: http://www1.ifccfbi.gov
IFCC's mission is to address fraud and online scams committed over the
Internet. For victims of online fraud, IFCC provides a convenient and
easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of a suspected criminal
or civil violation.
Be aware of these online scams and report them to
the IFCC so you can avoid becoming a new victim. It makes the Internet a safer
and more enjoyable place for all of us.
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