What are Internet Crime Schemes

These are but a few of the internet crimes committed regularly online. Internet users must beware if they come across these situations:

1. Action Fraud

Action fraud is an internet crime that involves misrepresentation of a product being sold online or not delivering the product bought through online sites.

2. Action Fraud- Romania

Similar operation as action fraud, the main difference is the money is transferred to US banks and routed to Romania or Latvia.
Fake Cashier's Check

Online sellers are the target of this crime. The buyer would issue a cashier's check to the seller at an amount much higher than required. The excess supposedly will cover shipping expenses. The seller is then instructed to deposit the excess amount to the seller's account or back to the buyer often located in Nigeria.

Banks often release the money upon encashment in case of cashier's check. The seller then sends the money to the buyer. The bank then informs the seller that the check was fake and that he should pay the amount released by the bank.

3. Credit Card Fraud

Online transactions requiring credit card payments could be harmful if the website is not secured. Credit/Debit card numbers are used to steal money.

4. Employment/Business Opportunities

A person from US is hired for work-at-home job requiring reselling or reshipping of goods to places outside US.

The employees are then paid through checks from a US companies supposedly creditors of the foreign employer. The amount of check is usually excessive. The employee is instructed to deposit the excess to the employer's account. Upon clearing, the employee would found out that the check is fraudulent.

5. Debt Elimination

This is a form of identity theft. In this form of crime, a website advertises legal way to pay mortgage or credit card. The con artist then issues bonds and promissory notes to the lender in behalf of the participant. The victim is asked to pay $1,500 to $2,000 plus disclose confidential personal information to the perpetrator. Also, the victim is asked to sign special power of attorney to allow the con man to enter transactions in behalf of the victim.
Phishing

The latest crime to strike the internet is phishing. Phishing means soliciting by fraudulent emails personal financial information such as bank accounts to get access to the depositor's money.

6. Worse Crimes

Internet crime could lead to worse crimes such as kidnapping or death. This often starts off as harmless online chatting then progressed rapidly to something more sinister. There are a number of cases of kidnappings that arise from these chat rooms. Minors often prey to these kidnappings. The modus operandi is someone usually an adult enters chat rooms intended specifically for kids or teenagers.

Then he poses as someone younger so he could befriend the kid. As soon as he gets his trust, he would suggest an "eyeball" or slang term for face-to-face meeting. The kid, thinking that he/she was talking to a real kid, would agree to meet this person alone. When the meeting takes place, these kidnappings occur. Kidnapped kids often go through horrors such as being raped or worse, get killed.

That is why it is very important for parents to monitor their kids' computer use. Also, kids should be duly warned of the dangers of talking to strangers online. Proper precautionary measures should be taken so as to ensure the safety of the kid at all times.