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
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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