INTERNET CRIMES
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE A VICTIM OF AN INTERNET CRIME, DO NOT CONTACT YOUR LOCAL POLICE AGENCY. Contact the INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT CENTER (IC3) . IC3 is an alliance between the NATIONAL WHITE COLLAR CRIME CENTER (NW3C) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. IC3 analyzes and refers all fraudulent activity identified on the Internet to the appropriate local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Your local police agency may receive your case once it is review by IC3 and referred to them. An investigator should contact you if the case is referred to your police agency for an investigation. TO FILE AN INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT OR TO LEARN MORE, VISIT THE INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT CENTER WEB SITE AT WWW.IC3.GOV
INFORMATION, HOW THEY CAN SCAM YOU, AND HOW YOU CAN USE SOME METHODS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES UTILIZE TO TRACE A CRIMINAL ONLINE AND DO YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION:
chance offers, or instant message to trick victims by requesting a click on a link or response to an unsolicited email that will direct the victim to a fake web site disguised as a legitimate web site. Fake web sites are very convincing. This criminal technique occurs when a legitimate web page such as an online auction site, bank's site, or IRS web site...is reproduced exactly like the legitimate site except you are now under the control of the attacker's server. The intent is to fool the users into thinking that they are connected to a trusted site and to fraudulently obtain user names, credit/debit card numbers/pin numbers, social security numbers, passwords, etc. Once the victim enters their card numbers, pins, or personal information, the fraudulent page will usually generate some type of error and redirect the user back to the legitimate site. Banks, IRS, online auction sites etc., should never send you an email requesting your personal information or account numbers to verify your account information for security reasons or any other reason. If you believe that you may have an account problem with a bank or business, call them directly using the number on the back of your cards or use telephone directory verification. Cyber criminals know how to disguise their headers, URL address bars, web/surfer addresses, user names, etc., so that you or anyone else will not be able to trace or contact them after they have stolen what they want. Visit Anonymizer.com and Hushmail.com if you want to learn how a surfer can be disguised. NOTE: If you are concerned about an online purchase, get the seller to send you an email and save it, it can be traced by law enforcement but it won't be much help if it is disguised and the person lives on the other side of the world. If you have been phished, you should immediately update and check your account information with the business or auction site, contact the credit/debit card company used to make the purchase, check your credit report, request a fraud alert or credit freeze, and check every other account you have. You should also contact the business or auction site and inform them of the incident.
are phished or fooled. The criminal phishes a seller to click on a fraudulent web page and obtains his account seller information. The criminal is then able to list a large ticket item "truck" for sale on the legitimate auction site using the "phished" legitimate seller's account. A buyer using the auction site sees the great deal for the truck and wins the auction. The buyer then clicks to pay for the truck and is unaware that he is on a fraudulent page representing the auction site created by the criminal. The fraudulent page directs the seller to wire the money to the criminal. The criminal also creates a fake purchase tracking page so the buyer can track when and where he will receive the truck. No truck and out several thousand dollars. Be wary of second chance offers and purchasing large ticket items on online auction sites.
services that send cash instantly from storefront locations, by telephone, and over the Internet. Instant money transfer services can wire money just about anywhere in the world. The rate of online auction fraud is increasing exponentially and law enforcement agencies may have guidelines requiring monetary loss limits that will determine whether an investigation is conducted. FAKE CALLER ID
Caller ID information that is transmitted with the call. There are technologies that transmit this information on land lines, cellphones, and also with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP is simply an Internet Telephone. Unfortunately, these technologies (especially associated with VoIP) allow callers to lie about their identity, disguise their voice as male or female, and present false names and numbers, which could of course be used as a tool to defraud, harass, or prank. Because there are services and gateways that interconnect VoIP with other public phone networks, these false Caller IDs can be transmitted to any phone on the planet, which makes the whole Caller ID information now next to useless. If you doubt this, visit www.spoofcard.com. Due to the distributed geographic nature of the Internet, VoIP calls can be generated in a different country to the receiver, which means that it is very difficult to have a legal framework to control those who would use fake Caller ID's as part of a scam. A bank, credit card company, or government agency should never call you and ask for personal information. Call them direct by using the numbers on the back of your cards or use telephone directory verification. As for the phone pranks made with this technology, enjoy the laugh. A METHOD TO CONDUCT YOUR OWN INTERNET INVESTIGATION
etc., you should get them to email you. Depending on your email service and your effort to obtain the instructions, you may be able to view an email's routing and server paths: It should look similar to this:
Received from xxx-yxxx.mx.aol.com (rly-yhoxx.mail.aol.com [100.21.340.xxx] yhxx.yahxx.com (v114_rl.10) with esm id mrromance@gotcha (432.xxx.xxx) Received from xxxii.com@ugoslava uthursideofwurld [9xxx.87.111] Received: from cxx.servxge.net (cxx.servxge.net [82.140.xx.xx] by sliest-dude.mx.xol.com Mail relayintel 231lxxxxa4fdd33 Received: from node xxxcjz [10.1.xx.4] For Beccagirlspoofedya<@axl.org
Notice the highlighted numbers in purple bold brackets. "x"'s placed to represent real numbers. These are called IP address numbers, in simpler terms, a computer address. You should copy and print this path information or write these numbers down. Although many predators or spoofers can disguise these paths, there should be one correct IP number that can be traced to real servers. You can use websites like www.arin.net to conduct a reverse IP number search that may reveal a true computer server address and perhaps a true domain name. Enter the IP numbers on the IP reverse web site search bar to obtain a path of the IP number. If your seller's or predator's path appears entirely different than what you observed in your email and address bar, you probably should be suspicious. For example: your address bar may display "BigtrucksGreatDeals.oxg" and the email routing path you traced ultimately looks something like "Yonkidork@bbyAhDdaSSdghEww423dDASEDADAk.uk." NOTE: These paths can be very long and difficult to understand. Do not jump to conclusions until the Internet Crime Complaint Center has reviewed it.
airports, cafés, hotels, or any Wi-Fi access point. Fraudulent Wi-Fi access point names can be an established commercial, altered, or a disguised name to fool Wi-Fi users. Most Wi-Fi users will be unaware they are being hacked. Hackers can easily set up a middle access Wi-Fi point or use other hacker tactics that can obtain your passwords, files, credit card numbers, purchase information, or financial transactions. Wi-Fi users should be wary using Wi-Fi to make purchases or to conduct any financial transactions until a more secure Wi-Fi security system is implemented.
make purchases. Public computers could be loaded with a virus that records your passwords, account information, or transaction and send the information anywhere in the world. Your account(s) could be depleted in minutes. Use your connected home computer to conduct financial transactions and to make purchases.
the seller to e-mail you as a precaution. Investigators may be able to trace it. A seller's entire web site can be disguised as a legitimate auction site including the address bar. Be wary of sellers that try to get you off an auction site's web page. E-mails offering second chance offers, etc,.
online auction site along with related items for sell. When the intended victim clicks on the related items, the victim may be unknowingly directed to the attacker's web page and server off the legitimate auction site that looks exactly like the legitimate auction site's web page. The victim then enters their credit/debit card information to purchase other item(s). The attacker can then purchase items using the victim's personal information and credit/debit card online, and in minutes, drain their account.
online. Take the time to read the online auction site's security policy to learn how to verify a legitimate seller. Obtain name, address, and telephone number of the individual or company. Research the individual or company to ensure they are authentic by contacting the Better Business Bureau at http://lookup.bbb. org to determine the legitimacy of the company. Some identity thieves use cell phone numbers and will answer their listed number on a website posing as a company employee. Remember an entire web page can be disguised.
accepts wire transfers or cash. Wire transfers can be picked up anywhere in the world. Be wary of businesses that operate from P.O. Boxes or mail drops. Ask for names and contacts of other customers, and contact them. Do not provide credit card information when requested by unsolicited e-mails. All it takes is one mistake or click by providing your credit/debit card numbers to an impostor. In minutes, your cards can be "maxed" or your debit account can be depleted. If it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Be alert for the unsolicited Spam e-mail scam that informs you that your account has been compromised and you must update it for security reasons. The entire web page will be disguised and will be convincing. This is a very common Internet crime and easy way to steal your account information and credit card number. If you don't remember anything else on this page, remember this...No auction site or company should send you an unsolicited e-mail requesting your account information and credit card number. Delete these e-mails or forward them to www.ic3.gov
letter is already in hand or mailed to you containing a lottery check payable to you for a few thousand dollars or more. You are instructed to cash the check on your bank account and send some type of processing or tax fee back to the person or fake company that mailed you the check. Need I say more. Congratulations! You just committed Forgery. You may or may not go to jail but the bank may hold you accountable for the money. This scam primarily targets the elderly and is costing U.S. Citizens. Fake foreign lottery scams have made millions. Lottery scams will continue to evolve and probably create a scam with legitimate smaller denomination checks to initially convince victims. Victims may receive larger denomination lottery checks that will ultimately be counterfeit and may cost victims their life savings if they fall for this. You cannot win a lottery without buying a legitimate ticket and no lottery system will ever contact winners. ONLINE EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
claims of possible earnings or profits and require no experience. Do not give your social security number or any personal identifiers when first interacting with a prospective employer. Use caution when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Illegitimate offers require you to cash counterfeit checks or money orders at your bank and send a portion of the money back. Banks may close your account and repo your car. Research the company to ensure they are authentic. Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company. Better Business Bureau
They may actually tell you - your name, address, date of birth, social security number, and your bank and account information. Hang up. Write down any email address (probably fake) or phone number (probably fake) on the caller ID. Report the incident to your bank, monitor your accounts, and file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Don't invest in anything you don't understand. Research the company and nature of the investment. Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country. Don't assume a company is legitimate based on the appearance of their web site. Remember web sites can be disguised and the phone numbers you call from the web site can be operated by an impostor. Contact the Better Business Bureau or call by telephone directory verification to determine the legitimacy of the company. Better Business Bureau |