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INTERNET FRAUD
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Internet
fraud is one of the fastest growing categories of crime in America.
Internet fraud is actually a conglomeration of several types of fraud,
but they all have one common theme: something is presented differently
than it actually is.
Internet
auction fraud is a large portion of internet fraud. If you decide
to participate in on-line auctions, know the host site and it's rules of
use and misuse. Know what protection you may or may not have when
it comes to fraud. If you purchase something on-line, try to mail
in your payment after the product has been received. If this is
not possible, use a credit card. Usually, users are only liable
for up to $50.00 of fraudulently made purchases; credit cards also give
you the option of disputing a transaction if something other that the
item you bought appears in the mail. Be aware that transmitting
your credit card across the internet is generally safe practice, but
nothing is without risk. To be safer, do not send any unnecessary
information with your credit card number, such as your social security
number, or bank account number. Information such as this can allow
someone to possibly steal your identity.
Another
growing form of internet fraud is the use of "stolen"
websites. In this case, perpetrators pirate the content of a
popular site to lure unsuspecting consumers into giving their credit
card information to them. For instance, a criminal might pirate a
popular toy site. To people logging on, it appears to be the legitimate
site. They shop, pay, log off. The only difference is that
in a few weeks they will not receive new toys, but dozens of
unauthorized credit card charges with the fraudulent site nowhere to be
found. To combat this form of fraud, be very careful when first
going onto sites---make sure the business site is spelled
correctly. This is important because fraudulent sites may look
like the real thing, but they cannot use the same site address or URL;
instead the fraudulent site address may be a letter or hyphen different
from the real site--just close enough to trick someone if they are not
careful about exactly "where" they are going.
Another
form of internet fraud that deserves mention involves perpetrators
"switching" your phone connection without your knowledge while
you are simply browsing. This works by the criminal disconnecting
you from your usual toll-free internet phone service and
reconnecting you to an different, more expensive phone number, usually
an international call. Be suspicious if your modem suddenly makes
noises as if it is connecting to a server when you are already connected
and on-line. Disconnect if this happens. Check your phone
bill or with your service provider monthly and question any unusual
expenses.
Finally,
always keep your internet passwords secret and secure. Never give
them out to someone on-line, even if they claim to be from your service
provider. You password may be all a thief needs to hijack your
account and incur numerous unauthorized expenses! |
