The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), has-a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center (NWC3) recently published its 10th Annual report on complaints against cyber-crime reports for 2010 are not numbers.
When you consider that according to the FBI, the vast majority of computer crime reported, says the well-known that almost one in seven actually reported cyber crime, these figures are best used as part of the iceberg you see may actually be seen above the water line.
2010 a total of 303 809 reports on the IC3 website was written, of which 121 710 were referred for prosecution. Although it is the second highest number on record, there were still down made from 336 655 146 663 reports in 2009 called on law enforcement authorities.
This means that about 25 000 messages per month were made, indicating that the total number of crimes actually committed was closer to 200,000 per month.
Under these cyber-crime, given the reported figures, or the actual figures are much higher, about 14.4% were non-delivery/payment goods (not auction), 13.2% FBI fraud, where scammers disguised as the FBI, to defraud victims, 9.8% were identity theft.
5.9% of all cyber-crimes have been reported auction fraud.
This is a category that declined significantly over the years. In 2004, auction fraud made up 71.2% of all Internet crime called the IC3 to law enforcement. In 2010, however, auction fraud made up only just over 10% of the crimes.
The IC3 is not exactly clear why auction fraud has decreased, but speculated that these levels of complaints, as companies and consumers rejected and discovered the means used (eg escrow online) “before e-commerce safer and more reliable unexplored.”
However, when viewed from another perspective, these figures show that the goods in connection with crimes including Internet commerce Non-Delivery/Payments, advance fee fraud, fraud, overpayment and auction
Fraud-out were by far the most reported offense in 2010, consisting, as they have 32.2% of all complaints.
Epidemic
Looking at this picture, I do not believe that the use of the word epidemic is inappropriate. Some parts of society, be it here in the United States or abroad, it seems that ‘something for nothing “formula of life, instead prefer the real work, which is about the definition of a criminal.
Cybercrime is a growing epidemic for several reasons. The first is that due to the nature of the Internet itself, cyber crime are almost evenly across jurisdiction boundaries, and such crimes to identify increasingly difficult, not only but also for the investigation and prosecution of necessity, as they do, several agencies and local law enforcement authorities , state and federal level, not to mention internationally.
As a result, the criminal of his next-door type, or he or she may be in Russia, Romania and Nigeria.
The other reason is an epidemic that is alert despite a campaign to attract more people to the spread of cyber crime such as identity theft, it seems that some of our non-cynical (read “good”) is human nature to always think the best people, and take them at their word.
We just do not know how to be wary of what we said and when we hear that a friend of ours was his money and credit cards stripped and is now an urgent need for liquidity, we will consider a rule without with a money transfer service to send money to help, not even considering that some fraudsters stealing the identity of our friend, and he is now our e-mail to inform their Facebook to easy money.
At this point I would suggest that one of the biggest red flags (and we will get back to that) you can get an imposter, the words “money transfer service.”
If you are asked to send money through a transfer service, for whatever reason, know that in 99 cases out of a hundred you are dealing with an impostor.
The heart of a crook
Note that all the con crooks are crooks, and the art is the art of persuasion.
And know that the crooks, by a strange instinct (because he or she is not one of his own) knows your heart.
He or she knows you’re basically decent, and you want the right thing by others do. He or she knows that we do not want people to be cynical, and we want to believe what others say. So if someone claims to be a soldier who was shipped out of Iraq before it (unloaded for him to be transferred to it from a service, sorry) a chance to sell his truck and was now willing to take a little money , well, we want to sympathize, and we will believe. And we do not believe that some people depend only on really good of your heart and your confidence and sense of fairness, to fly over your last penny.
The heart of a crook, as I said, does not exist. He or she has no conscience and would be happy to take a penny last widow, without a second thought. This is what we are facing. There are people who are downright disgusting, and care for nothing but his own well-being, how they were acquired.
Yes, in these days of the internet, we have to subscribe to a certain degree of cynicism, if for no other reason than to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
The type of scam
The art of deception goes, is the (a) fully credible, (b) deserves our compassion, and (c) seems a lot to offer-their loss is your gain.
To circumvent these points depend on the good character (necessary for the gullibility), the average citizen.
Entirely credible
Knowing that we wanted our people basically believe that fraudsters will turn the most beautiful stories, and as they spun in the rule makes no sense.
These tales length of the region because of why they have just two extra tickets to the Super Bowl, and why you need to send money through a money transfer service money for them, how is that they have a 2008 Honda Civic will have $ 1,500 to listed craigslist.
If we do not believe we would not, because in each case the story too good to seem to be true, you should be so lucky, in other words. Let’s be honest, that’s not all add up.
Deserves our sympathy
To your heart-strings play pretend to it often, someone that we are to respect the rule or sympathize with, like soldiers, firefighters, widows last block (in a foreign country, and could you, if you please MoneyGram money) U.S. -students. Be the drama is designed to arouse our sympathy, but not surprisingly it go (can not blame the scammers even be stupid, just the heart less).
Great Deal
The only person who can get anything by the fact that he or she just has to rush to war, it’s you or if you really believe.
The story is woven also one of the disaster, and that explains why he or she is willing to lose money to your advantage.
Even if we do not believe for our vulnerable fellow human beings, we would laugh at this job or at home. But often we do not have. And we listen and we think why we should not make a bit when we help someone else at the same time.
Or maybe not (a cynic)
I do not think self-preservation, committed in the face of cybercrime around 2 million € per year (300 000, which are actually reported) is cynical. I think you owe it to yourself and those you love and who depend on you.
It does not need to stop buying and selling things online. It just means that you to be smart, they will need.
Three rules
Three basic rules:
Number 1: If it sounds too good to be true-it is his. Always, always, always. You can not go wrong with this attitude.
2: The words “money transfer service” is the biggest red flag in existence an offer that still smells better to avoid the money transfer services, discarded, abandoned as soon as you can. , say “fraud”. Never send money with a money-transfer service, if you know the recipient personally.
# 3: If you can afford to lose the property bought or sold (or value) require the use of an online escrow service. Always, always, always. And not to accept as an answer. Be aware that this is rather the imagination, is the deceiver and amazing story in his mind: he delivered or the best arguments for why you should not use a series of exposures, or at least not beat, (which is in good faith They have researched and know it is). You may be surprised at the apparently very good reasons, you will receive. Buy one of them. Insist on a real online escrow service.
Litmus Test
Rule number three is actually a very good litmus test to detect fraud. Emphasizing the use of a bona fide online escrow account, the fraudsters will be to rush the hills, never seen again. Because they know they are not in control of the trust company, they know that it goes wrong, and that means the trust company, which soon clear enough.
Rule 3 applies: Always insist on using an escrow service online.
It could even be a Rule 4: If you doubt escrow.
Online Engagement
A word about online escrow account. The principle here is the same as buying and selling real estate, which is, of course, the trustee is considered essential, because the amounts are fixed.
It works as follows:
• The buyer or seller opens an account with the trust company online;
• The potential buyer of an object sends the payment by bank transfer (not to be confused with a money-transfer service, a transfer, a bank in a completely different animal and will be through services preferred escrow Online because these transfers are traceable), check or credit card at the trust company;
• The Trust Company evaluates whether the means are effective, or that the buyer, which he presents himself and is used in the possession of the credit card in other words, money is good;
• When checking that the funds are well-intentioned, the trust company into an interest bearing trust them;
• Once done, ask the trustee of the seller ship the goods;
• Products are shipped and the seller puts tracking information;
• Once the site shows that the tested shipping goods to the delivery address, the trust company to double to ensure that the buyer has the goods on hand;
• The buyer has now agreed to accept a time or returning the goods to the seller;
• Once the buyer accepts, is the trustee of the funds to the seller, minus the processing fee.
It’s simple.
There is a catch. For every legitimate online escrow, it seems five who are not.
Internet Fraud Escrow
Manipulation, as is the case, significant amounts of money, the trustee often try themselves become targets of fraud, where double-phishing pages that you were with them instead of the site in good cheat faith, and the concept of trust is also significantly by criminals who set up fraudulent escrow sites where no money misused one-way trip: you guessed it, get away from you.
In fact, the problem of fake escrow sites online is so important is that some serious and legitimate escrow sites simply are thrown in the towel.
Many of these companies apparently in good faith escrow account for the sole purpose of enriching the criminal set, are offshore set, especially in Russia or China, where lax laws against cyber-crime (and sometimes questionable cooperation with the U.S.) it’s always difficult to close the site down and bring the perpetrators to justice.