Fraud online is by definition fraudulent activity committed
through internet services or with the use of what is known as rogue security
software. Fraud showed up in the online scene pretty much as the online scene
was born. As the internet started replicating real life, unwanted aspects of
real life started occurring online as is the case of fraudulent activity. And
as you would file a report if someone mugged you on the street, we should also
report what is known as cyber-crime.
Fraud online has a very clear aim: money. Fraudsters can go
for it straight up by directly stealing your money or can get to it by accessing
your personal information first, to then engage in a varied array of fraudulent
activities that range from identity theft, credit card duplication, spamming
and retail fraud, among others. The perpetrators will try and access your
information through phishing via email, asking you to provide your personal
information or online banking login details by mimicking your bank’s email
address; pagejacking, done by redirecting you to an identical url that is no
longer secure so that your personal information becomes available for their
taking; fake antivirus protection that would install spyware in your OS without
your knowledge and will report back to the criminals with your personal
information. These are just the most well-known examples. But the internet is
an ever-changing, dynamic landscape and so is fraud online. Once authorities are
onto the criminal, they move on to their next MO.
So what happens after
you have become a victim of fraud online? You report it. There are multiple
ways of doing it. Some countries have fraud hotlines, as is the case of 999 in
the UK. Most countries’ governments set up special divisions to take care of
cyber-crime and take your report. You can do it online as well. You will most
likely need to present all the evidence you can gather, even if it seems
meaningless to you: your latest browser history, emails, exchanges if there
were any, your latest downloads, among others.
It’s important to identify the way in which the criminal accessed your
information. These government departments will do their best and follow up with
the victims to record and possibly find the perpetrators, although this doesn’t
happen often. The internet allows us to be connected with people from all over
the world, for better or worse and finding an online fraudster is like looking
for a needle in a haystack there’s too much ground to cover. It’s still
important to report these cases to create awareness in the public. There are
great free online tools and tips that can help us reduce the risk of becoming a
victim of fraud online.
If you’re feeling self-conscious or foolish, please understand
that you coming forward with your story could help someone avoid getting
scammed. Fraud online can be a few hundred dollars worth of damage or it can
represent staggering financial losses: in the UK alone, financial fraud added
up to £755 million in 2015 and the United States lost $190 billion in 2011 to
credit card fraud alone.
As the internet becomes a vital tool in our everyday life,
none of us are exempt of becoming victims. There’s no need to go paranoid but
as stated a few lines above, please do take the necessary precautions to save
yourself the load of stress that fraud online will bring to your life.
