...10 Internet Scam 1. Phishing scams Phishing email try to trick the intended victim into visiting a fraudulent website disguised to look like a valid eCommerce or banking site. The victim thinks they are logging into their real account, but instead everything they enter on the fake site is being sent to the scammers. Armed with this information, the scammer can wipe out the victim's accounts, run up their credit cards, or even steal their identity. 2.Nigerian 419 Scams Nigerian 419 scams (aka Advanced Fee Fraud) date back to the days when fax machines and snail mail were the primary business communication tools. Today, email is the preferred method of these scammers and there are more Nigerian 419 Advanced Fee Fraud scams - and victims - than ever before. 3. Lottery Winning Scams Lottery winner scams attempt to trick recipients into believing they have won large sums of cash, and then bilks them out of their own dough in a similar fashion to the Nigerian 419 scam. 4.Scareware Scams Scareware erroneously claims the system is infected and instructs the user to purchase a 'full version' in order to clean the bogus infections. Sometimes, fake antivirus software gets installed by the user who became a victim to an advertising scam. Other times, a rogue antispyware scanner may be installed by exploit, a so called 'drive-by install'. Regardless of how the rogue software gets installed, the user is often left with a hijacked, crippled system. To avoid becoming a victim, before installing...
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...| Internet Scam Artists | | | [Type the author name] | 4/25/2012 | Abstract Scam Artists have been around for centuries. As technology increased so has a new breed of con artist; the online scammer. Using the Internet, the online scammer has become more successful in defrauding a large target audience. This success is the focus of much concern in the past few years. Much is being done on multiple levels of government and within the public and private sectors; online fraud is still continuing to thrive. As long as the scammer is motivated by greed and able to deceive others, fraud will always be in existence. This paper examines the emergence of the scammer in cyberspace. Furthermore, I will discuss a few tactics and methods the online scammer uses in their attempt to successfully deceive others. It will provide a profile of those individuals who are victimized by scammers. Finally, it will list the steps being taken to help deal with the issue of online fraud. Scammers: Who They Are And Motives Virtual scam-artists are similar to the traditional scam artists encountered in the real world. Their fundamental motive is greed. However, there is one distinct difference; they utilize a completely different means in their mission to ultimately accomplish their goal of successfully deceiving others. The traditional scammer starts their venture off in a similar manner to that of a business entrepreneur. In regards to financing their operation, a relatively...
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...CYBER SCAM AND ITS EFFECTS November 27, 2011 SUBMITTED BY: FETALVER, FRANCIS VIOLETA, ROGENE CRIS SUBMITTED TO: MRS. MARY GRACE P. ALFANTA I Introduction Background of the Study Experts and law-enforcement officials who track Internet crime say scams have intensified in the past six months, as fraudsters take advantage of economic confusion and anxiety to target both consumers and businesses. Thieves are sending out phony emails and putting up fake Web sites pretending to be banks, mortgage-service providers or even government agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Cell phones and Internet-based phone services have also been used to seek out victims. The object: to drain customer accounts of money or to gain information for identity theft. Most scams are done by e-mail (Spam). They entice users to give them critical information like usernames, passwords, credit card information, or other types of account information. Most of these e-mails can easily be identified as fraudulent, by identifying a couple of general characteristics. If someone pretending to represent a company or organization contact you by e-mail to supply them with usernames, passwords or other critical information by e-mail, then you can be certain it’s fraudulent. Today we have something we call SSL (Secure Socket Layer). E-mail is one of the most un-secure methods to send user information and passwords. Most organizations...
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...Internet Fraud: An Overview of Classifications, Government Actions, and Consumer Protection December 14, 2006 Internet Fraud: An Overview of Classifications, Governmental Actions, and Consumer Protection Internet fraud is an increasing threat to our technological society, which thrives on the advances and benefits of the Internet and e-commerce. With the increased growth and dependence of the Internet, creative individuals have found ways of conveying fraudulent schemes as legitimate goods and services. Not only does Internet fraud cause harm to individuals and institutions, but it also damages the consumer confidence of valid Internet businesses and e-commerce. There are many forms of Internet fraud which Internet patrons need to be aware of and cognizant of. This paper will explore major classifications of Internet fraud, provide information on how to deal with Internet fraud, relay actions taken by the government to thwart Internet fraud and prosecution thereof, and also take a detailed look into one type of Internet fraud especially, identity theft. According to the Department of Justice (http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/text/Internet.htm), Internet fraud is any type of criminal scheme that uses one or more components of the Internet to present fraudulent solicitations to prospective victims, to conduct fraudulent transactions or to transmit the proceeds of fraud to financial institutions. Major types include; online action and retail scams, business opportunities...
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...and cybercrime are internet money scams, fraudulent use of credit cards, debit cards, and other financial identity theft, the sabotaging of critical infrastructure, and stealing of intellectual property. This summary will briefly describe examples of each of these cybercrimes as well as outline the most pressing threat currently as well as the infrastructure that is in place to fight these crimes. Internet money scams that arrive in a myriad of different forms are rife throughout the cyber world. Fake prize sweepstakes, fictitious jobs online, and charities that don't exist are just a few of the internet scams that are present online. An example I will give is a job that a relative of mine was duped into believing he had obtained online. The job required for him to serve as a de facto broker of sorts for an international art gallery. His alleged job was supposed to require him to transfer money that was appropriated for the art. He would receive an amount in his bank account of 3000-5000 in a cashiers' check and would be required to allow the check to be deposited in his account. After the check was deposited he would transfer 3/4ths of the check and keep the rest for payment. He was required to send the 4300 to a location in Eastern Europe. The caveat is that the check that he received bounced and was a fake; therefore, he was on the hook with his bank for the entire $5000 dollars and the criminals subsequently received $4300 for their fraud. Many scams like this occur every...
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...Professor Romero CIS 324 November 15, 2013 Is it Legitimate? Today, the Internet plays a very important part in the lives of many people. Users are now able to bank online, shop online, apply for jobs online, and perform a number of other tasks that users decades ago were not able to do. Even though the Internet provides users with many conveniences, unfortunately, the Internet is also used to commit many crimes. Phishing is a very common method that thieves use to “steal personal information through spamming and other deceptive means” (“History”, n.d.). The first recorded phishing scam occurred with AOL users in the late 1990s, and was very successful, simply because users did not know any better. Once users became aware of such scams, security meaures were increased, but that did not stop thieves from becoming more creative. Today, the most common phishing scams consist of “an e-mail message [that] tells the victim to click on a link to what purport to be the Web site of a well-known bank or online company” (Baase, 2008). It has become increasingly important for Internet users to be alert and aware of the type of scams that are designed to steal information and potentially identities. Internet users that fall into phishing traps quickly become victims of identity theft and credit card fraud. On average, these scams cost individuals about $1200 (SonicWALL, 2012). To avoid these scams, Internet users should be extra careful when opening emails and clicking on links that ask...
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...total 55 Cyber crime research Research questions • • • • • • • • • • How are cyber crimes committed (e.g. credit cards, internet)? How many crimes are committed and what are the crime trends? Who commits them and why do people commit them? How much money is at stake, lost and recovered? How can such crime be reduced – by prevention or punishment? Online and desk-based reviews of books, reports and articles Legislative and case-law analysis, including sentencing research Consultations with business, government and the community Surveys of households, businesses, offenders and victims Analysis of media reporting of crime Research methods Dissemination of findings • Reports, books, articles, conference papers, roundtables, online, media Cyber crime concepts Organised Crime e.g. OMCGs Identity Crime Cyber Crime e.g. off-line crimes e.g. ID theft Internet Crime e.g. Offensive Content Phishing Financial Crime e.g. Home renovation scams A chronology of cyber crime Cloud computing risks 2009 Wireless vulnerabilities 2007 M-commerce attacks 2006 Phishing 2002 Cyberstalking 1998 Cyberterrorism attacks 1997 Spam 1995 Identity crime 1995 Online piracy 1995 Botnets 1993 Child exploitation1990 ATM fraud 1985 Funds transfer fraud 1985 Extortion 1980 Denial of service 1980 Creeper virus 1971 Computer hacking 1970 Telemarketing scams 1965 Phreaking 1961 Organised...
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...Catfishing and online dating fraud is an expanding issue that has recently been gaining increasing notice from the public due to productions like the MTV show Catfish and the general increase of occurrences. Because of this, one would think that the attempts at intervention to try and stop this type of scam would increase also, but in reality no real progress has been made. The key to reversing the issue of online dating scams is identity verification. Both government legislation and social media sites, like Match.com or Facebook, have made fairly feeble attempts to protect users. Professor Aunshul Rege, a professor at Temple University in Pennsylvania, specializes in cybercrime and stresses the role dating sites play in the advancement of...
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...The Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, also called the PDAF scam or the pork barrel scam, is a political scandal involving the alleged misuse by several members of the Congress of the Philippines of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF, popularly called "pork barrel"), a lump-sum discretionary fund granted to each member of Congress for spending on priority development projects of the Philippine government, mostly on the local level. The scam was first exposed in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 12, 2013,[1] with the six-part exposé of the Inquirer on the scam pointing to businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles as the scam's mastermind after Benhur K. Luy, her second cousin and former personal assistant, was rescued by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation on March 22, 2013, four months after he was detained by Napoles at her unit at the Pacific Plaza Towers in Fort Bonifacio.[2] Initially centering on Napoles' involvement in the 2004 Fertilizer Fund scam, the government investigation on Luy's testimony has since expanded to cover Napoles' involvement in a wider scam involving the misuse of PDAF funds from 2003 to 2013. It is estimated that the Philippine government was defrauded of some ₱10 billion in the course of the scam,[1] having been diverted to Napoles, participating members of Congress and other government officials. Aside from the PDAF and the fertilizer fund maintained by the Department of Agriculture, around ₱900 million in royalties earned...
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...Assignment #3 The Technical Criminal: The Internet and Crime CIS 170- Information Technology in Criminal Justice Dr. Austen E. Ichu, PhD November 11, 2013 Generally people have a tendency to adapt to their environments and the changes occurring around them. This has also been the case with the criminal element and the way they commit crimes. Computers and their functions had taken on an entirely new level of advancement in their capabilities with the introduction of the Internet to the general public. This Internet for most can be a useful resource. From gathering research for an academic project to attending a board room meeting remotely, the Internet has proven to be key in many aspects of human life today. The Internet has also given way to a slue of new crimes and negative activity. Cyber stalking, Cyber bullying, exploitation, sex crimes, financial fraud and the use of viruses and malicious code are just a few things that have become prevalent on the information super highway. One of today’s largest concerns among parents is protecting their children from becoming victims of bullying. There was a time when you had to worry about the school bully running into while in the hallways of your school or out and about around your neighbor, but the situation surrounding bullying been given a technological advantage. Social media sites such, as Facebook.com, Twitter and Instagram have become the avenues for bullies to invade their victim’s homes and lives. In a recent...
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...in their life through the use of gadgets such as the computer, smartphones and tablets to name a few. The ability to pay bills online, shop for clothing and food, communicate with family and friends through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have most people young and old taking the leap of faith onto the internet bandwagon. In fact, having access to such a vast array of information has open up a plethora of opportunities to include finding love online. While most people welcome this opportunity to find their true love using this alternative there are those who do not share their enthusiasm. Neil Postman the author of Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology believes that America has become too reliant on technology and as such has become a slave to it. He writes that the acceptance of technology as the master means that “a new kind of social order” is inevitable and will lead to “rapid dissolution of much that is associated with traditional beliefs (1992, pg. 71). “ Postman’s beliefs regarding America’s obsession with technology has not stifled people in their pursuit of romance; despite the risks involved such as scams, identity fraud and the stigmas that have been identified with this type of romance, people continue to seek true love. Finding love the traditional way such as face to face is still the preferred method for some people, therefore they do not look upon online romances favorably. In a study conducted by Anderson in 2005, 175...
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...Active use of the Internet and participation in social media groups have been recognized as by the US Congress as powerful means of helping people to avoid being victimized by advance fee loan scams and other types of financial fraud. Social media is a powerful force, reaching millions of people. The user-friendly design of the major social networking groups encourages users from all age groups and skill sets to communicate and to share information. That is exactly why social media has attracted the attention of government officials and consumer advocate organizations as a tool in the fight against advance fee loan scams. Knowledge is the best protection a person has against this type of financial predator. Social media plays two very important roles in raising public awareness by helping spread loan scam knowledge far and wide. Advance fee loan scams, as recently reported by DirectLendingSolutions.com, continue to evolve, shifting their form, gathering a phony aura of legitimacy from what is in the public eye. When the government got involved in trying to help ease the foreclosure crisis, for example, advance fee loan modification scams began to proliferate. The site has been publishing people's loan scam experiences since 2007, and reading those first hand experiences clearly demonstrates that despite shifts in form and detail, the fundamental structure of an advance fee loan scam remains the same. These sorts of scams have become a financial industry scourge, moving government...
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...Investigation, seniors are more likely to be targeted by scams because of their trusting nature, excellent credit and retirement savings. Be aware of these scams to help protect your loved one. Healthcare Scams With the many changes in healthcare, many seniors may become confused when they receive fraudulent phone calls from criminals claiming to represent Medicare or private insurance companies. The caller may urge your loved one to buy additional services or to divulge personal information that can be used to steal their identity or make fraudulent health insurance claims. If your loved one receives a call from an insurance company, they should never divulge any personal information over the phone and...
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...Dominance of Social Networking Introduction In early 2013, German courts have ruled the internet as ‘essential’ to the German citizens. It’s not only in Germany where we see that the internet has become huge part of our daily lives. All over the world we see that there are more and more people using the internet every day. The internet is a boon in so many ways, but like everything it also has a flip side. The internet provides us with facilities and information man couldn’t imagine of having within a few seconds a few decades ago. Today, we take it for granted. One of the boons of the internet is Social Networking websites. For many, social networking IS the internet. Ever since the innovation of social networking websites, more and more people are beginning to use the internet. These sites help us stay in touch with friends and family all over the world, and staying in touch is just the beginning. Social networking has changed the world, and is constantly doing so. There have been suggestions that social networking is only a “fad” and will soon go out of “fashion”. But is it really just a fad or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? Social networking has facilitated so many processes like advertising, marketing; it increases the job opportunities, and spreads news faster than ever, it is used for recruitment by companies, for sharing pictures, experiences…almost everything. Social media is defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as “a form of electronic...
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...Con the Conman: How to Avoid Being Victim to Psychic Scams Around 57 percent of people believe in psychic abilities. This is why so many people reach out to psychics to receive life guidance, speak to a deceased loved one, or learn more about health concerns. However, not all psychics are the real deal. Every year, many people get scammed by fake psychics who are simply trying to make a quick buck. If you’re looking for answers from beyond, check out these scams to avoid being victim to the conman. Bad Luck Curses One of the oldest psychic scams in the book is when psychics try to scare customers with bad omens and a dark presence. They sometimes even do a vague reading to try and figure out more details of your life to convince you that they are the real deal. Then, they tell you that they can cure your bad omens for a price. After the first session, they even convince you to come back for more appointments because they believe the spell is still there. Many people have lost thousands of dollars stuck in this trap....
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