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What Happens when Victims Report Phishing Websites?

There is much hue and cry about awareness on internet scam prevention and reporting of fake mails and websites to the concerned authorities. However, many victims, even in this informed era are in the dark on what happens when they report phishing websites. Closing down or elimination of phishing websites cannot happen overnight. This is because of the vastness of the internet and the absence of a universal protocol to solve cybercrime. In this context, the following steps are undertaken, soon as victims report phishing websites:

The role of internet service providers when people report phishing websites

Since phishing originated in many cases by sending phishing emails to people often containing misleading information or the links to a phishing websites, victims prefer to report phishing websites to email service providers like Google, Yahoo and Hotmail and the following steps are taken:

●     If customer traffic has been diverted using spoofing methods, misrepresenting the email service providers, systematic investigation is carried out in locating where these mails have originated from.

●     Data security measures in email services such as password uniqueness checker, data encryption and spam protection mechanics are enhanced.

●     The complaints are forwarded to various law enforcers and consumer protection boards.

●     In addition to email service providers, victims also report phishing websites to internet service providers for prompt action.

What to banks and financial institutions do on receiving complaints?

A majority of attempts to report phishing websites also include complaints to financial institutions. This is because phishing websites promote identity theft which is directly connected to financial fraud. The banks, upon receiving complaints,

●     As a first and foremost safety and damage control measure, places an immediate freeze on all financial transactional instruments like internet banking and cards linked to the account.

●     Urge customers to place fraud alerts on their personal credit reports.

●     Stop all standing instructions and pending wire transfer requests till further clarity is received.

When victims report phishing websites to cyber police

This step is primary and is imperative to institute legal proceedings for losses suffered due to accessing phishing websites. A police report is mandatory to process the complaints on any platform, by the victims. The police department, upon receiving these complaints:

●     Requires victims to submit different forms in the prescribed format along with an affidavit if needed.

●     Proof of all communications (emails, details of phone calls, letters received, and photographs) shared with the scammer on phishing websites.

●     Details of bank accounts that have been shared on the phishing websites.

●     All other details that are connected to the case are required to be submitted when victims report phishing websites to the police.

●     It is the responsibility of the affected persons to get a report acknowledging the receipt of complaint, within the specified time frame.

●     Commencement of systematic investigation by coordinating with cybercrime prevention agencies, banks, credit rating companies and digital forensic experts.

Deploying the services of specialized task forces and collaboration with different government bodies like the IRS, the postal department and payment processing organizations so that the efforts undertaken by victims to report phishing websites end in recovery of funds lost.

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Six Visible Indicators to Report Dating Scams

Dating scams are known for their subtlety that catch the victims off-guards for conning, when they believe that they are in the midst of head over heels love with the online dating partner. When reality prevails, and the victims finally realize the need to report dating scams, the romance scammers are long gone, beyond the reach of law enforcers. Meanwhile for young daters who are in a relationship blinded by love, it is worthwhile to remain vigilant and look out for the following signs that warrant the need to report dating scams.

#1 Report dating scams when your online partner gets too inquisitive on finances

Though finances are an integral part of life, and your partner may be legitimately interested in your financial health, too many questions that have a robing nature on your income, assets, loans, receivables and bank balances are certainly fishy.

#2 When the scammer prefers private chat to chatting on dating platform

Many online relationships are cemented on the virtual landscape, by subscribing to online dating websites. Chats happen through these safe websites. When the online partner always prefers you to come online on private chat, it is better to be cautious.

#3 When there is an evident disparity between cited profile and interactions

This indicator, in a nutshell, can be stated as application of common sense and presence of mind. When your online date has claimed to be a renowned ornithologist, a question or two about rare birds is expected to be richly answered. It may be a call to report dating scams, when he flounders for a response.

#4 Report dating scams when the partner demands sexual favors on the webcam

This is a direct warning that the relationship is fake. Though lust is an integral part of love, it is unbecoming of a sensible lover to coerce his partner for such obscene excesses over the internet. It is highly possible that the scammer will use it for blackmail in the near future.

#5 When your lover is overtly interested to meet you on a sponsored trip

Your online friend is enthusiastic to meet you in flesh and blood – well, only if it is a trip sponsored by you. This is a sure shot indicator of trouble, with a targeted attack on your savings, which will very soon asked to be wired to some weird travel agent or an acquaintance for closing the logistics. Report dating scams immediately when such requests originate.

#6 When your partner’s kith or kin is in trouble and you are to bail them out

When the scammers pour out tales of their immediate family in trouble, either out of a business commitment, or a pressing medical need, where a lifesaving surgery needs to be carried out immediately, it may be the starting point of a full-fledged dating scam, aimed to gain sympathy coupled with loads of money. The moment when victims part with funds, the dubious lover vanishes into thin air, leaving in lurch, the poor victims who then rush to report dating scams.

A final word of caution is to draw a neat line when it comes to intrusion of privacy in online dating.

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Phishing Scams: Avoiding And Reporting

Basically phishing scams are fake email messages that appear to come from legitimate sources. If you find that the email message is purported to be from your bank, credit card company or your Internet service - providers need to be alerted as it may be fake. Such messages either direct you to a spoofed website or prompt you to divulge information about your important private information such as bank or credit card account number, social security number, PIN or other account updates. The scammers use such information to make personal financial gains for themselves.

Specific Types of Phishing

There is wide variation in phishing scams with regard to the severity and complexity, the quality of fraud and the objective of the attackers. Accordingly, different terms are assigned to phishing such as Spear Phishing, Clone Phishing, Whaling, Link Manipulation, Filter Evasion, Website Forgery, Covert Divert, Social Engineering, Phone Phishing, Tabnabbing and Evil Twin.

Avoiding Phishing Scams

Depending upon the nature of the attacks, the consequences of phishing scams may be from mild to disastrous, financially and socially. In any case, phishing scams could be and should be avoided to a great extent by adopting the following remedial measures

●     No reputable organizations such as bank, credit card companies, universities or government agencies ever use emails, ask you to send your Social Security Number, PIN, Pass Words or confidential personalized data or information. Hence, if you chance to get any such email message, just close your eyes. However, if you believe that it may be legitimate, go directly to the website of the sender, by typing the actual URL, into your browser. Alternatively, you may directly contact the sender to confirm if you are legitimately required to furnish the asked information

●     Read your email as plain text. If it is a phishing message, you will find some clickable images that may look genuine. If you read the message in plain text, you can find the URLs which an image may be pointing to. If you allow your email client to read HTML or other non-text-only format, the scammers take advantage of the ability of your email client for executing code, thus infecting your computer with worms, viruses and Trojans.

●     In case you like to read your email in HTML format, move your computer mouse over the links in every email message for displaying the real URL.  Then check the compatibility of this text with the received text and confirm if you have normal business contact with the site.

●     Before clicking the link, if you find a digital signature, the text is more likely to be more genuine.

 ●     If you suspect a phishing message, ‘report it as noted below’ and remove the email message from your inbox, as well as from your recycle bin.

 Reporting Phishing Scams To

●     Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

●     The Spoofed Company

●     Anti-Phishing Working Group that has a database of common scams to which references could be made

●     Local law enforcement authorities

●     If you are a user of Outlook for Windows, install a Phishing Alarm add-in for reporting phishing scams.

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Signs Of A Romance Scammer: Flirting With Fraud And How To Report Dating Scams

While social networking, social media and dating sites are great ways to connect with a potential mate, chances are also equally high that it involves connecting with scammers playing the old game of “love is blind, so trust me.” After all, many people do not bother about reporting dating scams not just because they are embarrassed but because they simply do not have all the details. The romance scammer hides behind a wall of anonymity and makes a game out of love. But unlike other games, this one has deadly consequences and high stakes. Luckily, many of these scammers share common features. Recognizing these characteristics can help you to identify scammers from the start.  

#1 Judging a Book By Its Cover: When Looks Are Deceptive  

An important part of a fraudster’s scam survival toolkit is an array of appealing and attractive photos, none of which belong to them. Scammers use photos to back up convincing narratives and make their characters appear distinctive. They even make sure that using fake photos can prevent someone from knowing their real identity and act as a safeguard against those who want to report dating scams. When playing a female character, the scammer will use photos of young and attractive people. A source will be chosen where multiple photos will be copied and the most common source are modeling websites and adult sites. Scam victims will rarely re-use photos provided by scammers. This is one of the reasons many people do not bother with reporting dating scams is low. When it comes to male romance scammers, model or even average photos may be used. Photos may be copied from social networking sites like FB or MySpace. Scammers may even pretend to belong to the other gender in an attempt to deceive the victim still further.

When it comes to catching the scammer, here's what you need to watch out for and ensure you report dating scams. Consider if the photos the scammer has sent are professional and yet the trickster has made the amateur mistake of leaving watermarks on the photos. Are the pictures all in a similar setting? This could be an indication they are part of a photo shoot or a vacation of some other person. If the photos do not look like posted photos, be clear you are in the hands of a romance scammer. Check if the photo matches the person’s written description and does the name on the uniform in the picture for military photos match the person’s name.  

#2 A Stitch in Time, Saves Till Nine: Make the Effort to Identify the Incongruence

Another surefire sign you need to be careful in the online world is the increasing number of scams that are becoming rampant. So, make the effort to catch on to the glaring errors and the slip ups otherwise the person losing out will be you. Consider the importance of catching on to the mistakes and discrepancies if you want to report dating scams. Remember, in order to make an accusation, you need to have evidence that proves complicity beyond doubt. The best way to do this to be alert.

#3 To Catch a Thief: Romance Scammers Stealing Your Heart or Your Money?

A sure indication of the romance scam, is that users are being tricked online on the dating site in cahoots with a crime syndicate in place. So, the ultimate focus of the romance scammer will be your money (and in some cases even your life) and not your love. Don’t let an evil mastermind ruin your life and financial welfare. Step out and fight fire with fire. Issue a fraud alert and report dating scams, to protect yourself and others from these criminals.

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Protecting Yourself against Phishing Websites

Phishing websites scams are one of the most dominant forms of cybercrime all over the world. Even though phishing is extensive, it is still beatable. While installing security software is important, the best way to tackle these scams is by learning what phishing websites looks like.

So what exactly is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of identity theft that is growing in popularity amongst the hackers. They use false emails and fraudulent websites to steal your personal information such as credit card details and passwords.

The attackers send you links that are similar to the websites you trust and gain your personal information. They impersonate websites such as social networking or online banking provider sites and steal your login credentials. Most common which are frequently spoofed are MSN, eBay, Yahoo! and PayPal. Even financial institutions are impersonated, so don’t trust every email that is sent by the bank- it might be a fraud.

How to safeguard yourself against phishing websites

Always be wary of any emails that ask you for confidential information of financial nature. Remember that, legitimate firms never request for sensitive details via email. Banks generally don’t ask for any information unless you are the one who is contacting them.

Don’t feel intimidated to provide sensitive information. Attackers have a habit of using scare tactics and will even threaten to disable your account or delay services until and unless you update certain information. Contact the concerned person directly to confirm the authenticity of the request.

Ensure that you are familiar with the privacy policy of the website. Most of the commercial websites have privacy policy that is accessible to you at the foot of the page. The most useful thing to look will be the website’s policy on whether it sells or doesn’t sell its mailing list.

Most of the spam that you receive frequently as well as other phishing websites emails are sent through a website you signed up has sold your email ID to another company. If you don’t want this to happen then it is time to reconsider whether you want to sign up to the website or not.

Keep an eye out for any requests that are generic looking as attackers don’t always personalise the emails. The phishing emails that you get mostly begin with Dear Sir/Madam, and are from a bank in which you don’t even have an account. Never send your confidential information via forms through email. Some senders are able to track all the details that you have entered.

Don’t click on the links provided in emails as they will connect you to some phishing websites that will extract your personal information from you. Many a times, phishing websites look quite similar to the authentic websites, to make sure you are not mistaken type the URL directly into the address bar instead of clicking on the link.

Ensure that you have effective security software that can combat phishing websites. There are several software available that automatically detects and blocks any fake website. They also authenticate top banking and shopping websites.

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Why Should You Report a Scammer?

Many users don't know the advantages and benefits that they can gain when they report a scammer each time they encounter these criminals in their day-to-day activities on the Web. That's one of the main reasons why they don't do this at all. They just choose to ignore situations where they encounter potential scams on the Web, or even after they've been victimized by the online scams of the many fraudsters out there today.

Another reason behind their apathy to report a scammer is their fear of the risks involved in exposing their identities, enabling the same criminals to look for them and cause more serious problems. Many of them probably don't know that they can anonymously report fraudsters to both public and private organizations, even in the social media platforms where they hang out.

Other users think that they need to put in a lot of time and effort when they report a scammer. Most of them probably think that it would take several days if not weeks for the entire process to be completed. What they don't know is that they can readily file Web crime reports and be done with the entire process afterwards.

With this, found below are some of the advantages and benefits that you can get when you report a scammer. This could hopefully motivate you to report fraudsters and potential scams whenever you encounter them during your daily set of activities on the Internet.

What Can You Get When You Report a Scammer?

First, you'll be able to minimize your chances of being victimized by online scams. That's because you'll help track down, identify, expose and persecute fraudsters and organized crime syndicates faster when you report a scammer. That's because cyber security specialists, online privacy experts and the anti-cybercrime agents of your local and national government need all the help they can get. When you do this, you'll be providing them with helpful details that they can make good use of in their investigations, even if what you offer are anonymous details.

Second, you'll get digital products, tech devices and online platforms with improved security and privacy for end users like you. That's because you'll assist product developers, site administrators, relevant companies and tech device manufacturers in improving the overall security of their products and platforms when you report a scammer. The anonymous details that you provide can help them identify the weak points and vulnerabilities of their Web portals and digital applications, allowing them to quickly create and deploy fixes, patches and upgrades.

Third, you can help other users to avoid online scams, some of whom might be your loved ones, when you report a scammer. You can do this more if you also anonymously post scam complaints and file Web crime reports in online communities like BigScammers.Com. These websites offer publicly accessible user-generated content repositories. Aside from posting your complaints and filing your reports in this repository, you can also learn more about the newest forms of online crimes and Web scams from the postings of other users. You'll also be able to access the helpful tips and useful pieces of advice that are regularly shared as comments by other cyber security experts and online privacy specialists.

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Why Report a Scam to Action Fraud

An action Fraud website is primarily designed to provide a platform where you can report a scam. The site offers an easy to use and understand fraud reporting form that is made up of questions to help direct your report to the right path. The questions found in the online reporting platform are specifically formulated to get the most crucial information about the scam you wish to report. This information is the same details that the local enforcers need in order to decide whether a full blown investigation is suitable for the case.

There are many ways a scammer can reach out to you. They may either use an online platform like email, social media or even forums or they can also get to you by means of offline communication such as through your phone or through mail. Regardless these scams all impose the same level of danger, so you should never hesitate to report a scam just because of th medium that they use. This is Action Fraud was created to ensure that people have a place where they can report a malicious scheme regardless of its type and origin. To give you more ideas why you should report a scam to Action Fraud, see the details below;

Reasons to Report a Scam to Action Fraud

●     Action Fraud ensures that your report is properly formatted for faster and more effective communication. The format of online reporting in Action Fraud is made for quick and easy understanding so authorities can easily grasp the scam that you wish to report.

●     The Action Fraud site ensures security and confidentiality between Action Fraud and the person reporting the scam. Many victims of scam are afraid to step forward because they fear for their safety, but with Action Fraud you don’t have to worry about this, since the site utilizes top notch security features to protect the privacy of the victims who want to report a scam.

●     Action Fraud is manned by professionals who are trained to handle sensitive information such as scam report. Since most of these reports are automatically forwarded to the NFIB and the City London Police you can be sure that you are only sharing your report to trusted people who understand and respect the importance of your privacy.

●     Action Fraud is guaranteed to make use of your report properly. Aside from providing a platform where you can report a malicious scheme, Action Fraud also offers updated information about the latest scams in the market and how businesses and individuals can avoid or prevent becoming a victim. To do this Action Fraud uses the reports that they receive from the victims of scam and carefully formulate steps and tips to help protect others from becoming the next victim of the same scam.

The reasons provided above are just some of the considerations why you should report a scam to Action Fraud. Remember that you are encouraged to report a scam because it’s a serious crime, so protecting your privacy while reporting a scam should be one of your priorities.

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Common Technical Online Scams This Year

Technical online scams are certain tactics and schemes that exploit various vulnerabilities of the most widely used devices and software tools in the market today. These scams also exploit the limited knowledge of many users when it comes to the features of their devices, digital applications and Web platforms.

A lot of crooks and organized crime groups target users in their senior years for a multitude of online scams. This is mainly because many of them have limited knowledge in using mobile devices, computers, social media platforms and the Internet in general. They lure them into downloading tampered versions of popular content like movies, books, songs, software programs and the like. These versions are injected with malicious code for logging and secretly transmitting all inputs, activities and stored data in the compromised device. They are also lured into clicking links and going to fake websites with covert auto downloading functions.

On the other hand, some criminals focus their online scams on younger users. That's primarily because they spend more time on the Internet. They also heavily depend on their devices for their daily activities at home, school, work and play.

To quickly recognize possible technical online scams, found below are some of the most prevalent types as reported by many users this year. You'll be able to increase your chances of flagging potential scams on the Web during your daily online activities when you learn the basic components of each one.

Most Common Technical Online Scams This Year

1. Fake Tech Support - These online scams are carried out by initially infecting the device of the target user with malicious applications. Once activated, this malicious code displays obtrusive pop-up message boxes in the screen of the user's device. This happens each time the user opens the Web browser.

These messages scare users into thinking that their confidential data has recently been compromised, or a hacker is currently trying to gain unrestricted access to the user's device. The call to action part of these pop-ups is designed to force the user into calling a phone number, which is disguised as the official tech support number of popular household tech brands like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook and so on.

As soon as unsuspecting users call this phone number, they are greeted by a scammer posing as a legitimate tech support agent of a reputable company. Many users continue to fall for these online scams this 2017, and a lot of them end up paying a hefty sum of money for fake tech support subscription services.

2. Ransomware - These online scams spawned the development of fake tech support fraud, according to a lot of cyber security specialists. This is where tampered versions of popular software products and digital content like movies, songs, books and so on are distributed all over the Internet. Most of these distribution platforms are torrent sites and illegal content repositories with copyrighted products.

As soon as the malicious code that's injected into these tampered content materials activates in the user's device, pop-up messages with scare rhetoric and fake urgency claims are displayed. Most of these online scams make use of pop-up message boxes that can lock the entire device of the user, rendering it useless.

As you might have guessed - These pop-ups tell users that they need to call a phone number or pay a considerable amount of money through an online payment platform before they can regain control of their compromised devices. Some of these online scams are carried out through the covert or intentional installation of rogue system security tools like anti-virus programs and anti-spyware applications (disguised as legitimate tools).

 When you see these pop-ups, it would be best for you to call the official tech support agents of your OS (operating system) developer, software product creator or device manufacturer. They'll be able to help you correct this problem, and can also offer tips and pieces of advice on how to avoid similar types of online scams in the future. You should also consider signing up at BigScammers.Com, in order to learn about the newest tactics and schemes that are currently used for the most recent versions of these technical scams on the Internet.

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Online Fraud in Social Media Sites This Year

Social media is now a major part in the daily activities of many users worldwide. Facebook has over 1.86 billion active users, while Twitter has more than 319 million active users. On the other hand, LinkedIn has 467 million active users. This is the main reason why many scammers and organized criminal syndicates have been targeting these platforms and other apps like WhatsApp and Viber for online fraud ever since social media became a global craze.

Another reason is because many users access these social media platforms through mobile apps. This means they can log into their social media accounts anytime, anywhere. This gives fraudsters a lot of time to build rapport and execute their social manipulation tactics into their schemes for committing online fraud against their intended victims in these networks.

To help you recognize potential fraudulent schemes and avoid these Web scams whenever you encounter them in your favorite social media platforms and messaging apps, found below are some of the most prevalent Internet scams in these networks and applications this year. This is according to recent online fraud complaints and Web crime reports that were posted by many users in the USA.

Most Common Forms of Online Fraud in Social Media Sites & Apps This Year

1. Phishing Scams - Recently, a phishing attack with a viral component was launched against WhatsApp users in the USA. This online fraud was designed to trick users into believing that they can get free Wi-Fi Internet access without ever needing to connect to a wireless network. Technically impossible as it might sound, many users aren't tech savvy enough to know this, which is why many of them were victimized by this online scam.

They responded to the fake ad, which promised instructions on how to do this by simply following a set of steps. What they didn't know is that their actions for carrying out these instructions allowed the authors of this online fraud to earn money through commissions from affiliate networks. They just ended up with lost time. In addition, one of these instructions required them to send the same message to at least eight of their contacts, which is the viral component of this Web scam.

Watch out for variants of this online fraud. Some of the more damaging forms of these phishing scams are designed to steal your financial information, private details and personal data. This stolen information is used by scammers for their other illegal activities online and offline. Many fraudsters distribute these stolen details as fake identity packages, which are sold to other criminals in the Dark Web.

2. Fake Investment Opportunities - This type of online fraud is heavily promoted all over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. These Internet scams guarantee unbelievable investment profits within a week or so. That's mainly because these are fake offers that are designed to steal your money and financial information.

You can learn more about the other types of online fraud in social media platforms and apps by signing up at BigScammers.Com. Instant email notifications and alerts are sent out to subscribed users whenever a victim files a Web crime report or an online scam complaint in the user-generated content repository of this website. Many cyber security specialists and online privacy experts also regularly offer helpful pieces of advice, tips and guides for avoiding online fraud and reducing the negative effects of Web crimes (in case you've already been victimized by these Internet scams).

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Advance Loan Money Scams in the USA

A lot of users around the world regularly go to the Internet to search for possible loans that they can use for their emergencies and needs. For example, college students usually search for student loans that they can use to pay off tuition fees and assist them in their daily expenses. Those with jobs tend to need some extra money here and there for various needs that suddenly come up, and they look for loans to cover these. Scammers and organized crime groups know this, and they continue to devise tactics and schemes for money scams that can exploit the vulnerabilities of these users and the Internet in general.

Fraudulent advance loan schemes are types of money scams that are targeted at users who are actively looking for loan offers and credit packages. Most fraudsters target American users for their advance loan scams, which are designed to steal not just the money of their victims, but also their personal details, sensitive information, financial account credentials and the like.

How Do Advance Loan Scams Work?

Scammers and organized crime syndicates that operate money scams like these fraudulent advance loan schemes promote enticing ads for their bogus loan offers. They falsely promote their fake offers as loan packages where the credit scores of their target victims aren't considered for the processing of the loans. They also guarantee easy and convenient loan repayment options and very low interest rates.

Once they bait users, they ask for their identity documents, personal details and financial account credentials. They say these are required to verify their identities and transfer their loans to them in case they're approved for the loans. Since the objective of most money scams is to steal money from victims, a lot of scammers require an upfront payment for the first month's interest.

Victims soon find out that their identity documents, personal details and initial payments were just conned out from them and stolen by fraudsters. That's how these money scams work.

How to Avoid These Money Scams

First, always be suspicious with a loan offer where your credit score won't be necessary. Remember, your credit score will always be required by legitimate loan companies. These loan scams are designed to be as enticing and compelling as possible for its target victims, so these are advertised in ways that would be hard to resist.

Second, confirm the identities of the loan providers and verify the authenticity of their claims. Search for reviews about the loan company before engaging in professional discussions with the representatives of the loan provider. If you can't find any review about the loan company, then move on to the next since those offers might be money scams, especially considering that it's an irresistible loan offer that would most likely be hard to pass up.

Third, check out the most recent online scam complaints and Web crime reports against money scams in reliable online communities like BigScammers.Com. Also take advantage of the convenient alert feature that's offered by Big Scammers, which enables you to get instant email notifications and updates each time a victim posts or updates a published posting in the user-generated content repository of this website. You'll be able to learn about the newest tactics and schemes that are currently being used by scammers and organized crime syndicates for their similar money scams.  

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What Types of Internet Fraud Are Targeted at Ecommerce Stores?

A lot of organized crime syndicates and solo scammers regularly create new Internet fraud tactics and schemes to victimize regular users. However, some fraudsters and criminal groups make it a point to only focus on victimizing ecommerce stores and Webshops. What they usually do is steal the products and customer databases of those ecommerce stores. When it comes to stealing products, this means they use stolen credit cards, hacked bank accounts and compromised e-wallet accounts to purchase both digital and physical products of those Web stores.

Businesses that are victimized by Internet fraud are then left with excessive chargeback percentages, disputes and claims. Many of them end up with huge debts, while others lose their ability to accept online payments and credit card processing privileges. That's because the legitimate owners of the stolen credit cards and hacked financial accounts file disputes and claims whenever they see unauthorized transactions in their account statements.

On top of all that - These businesses aren't usually able to recover the products that they shipped to the scammer. That's because fraudsters often use safety drop-off points overseas, which can be difficult if not impossible to trace and expose. Most of the foreign countries that they use as drop-off points for their Internet fraud schemes don't have anti-cybercrime laws and regulations that can cover international transactions.

If you're an ecommerce store owner, then it might be in your best interest to learn about the most prevalent types of Internet fraud, which are primarily targeted at online businesses this 2017. This can help you devise the most effective strategies for quickly recognizing and safely blocking the scammers and organized crime groups that perform these illegal activities. To help you out - Here are some of them, as reported by many businesses in the USA this year:

Common Types of Internet Fraud Against Ecommerce Stores This Year

1. Card Not Present Scams - This type of Internet fraud deals with the use of stolen credit and debit cards for purchasing digital and physical products from ecommerce stores and Webshops. As mentioned earlier, victims of these online scams rack up huge debts and could possibly lose their ability to accept online payments due to excessive chargebacks and disputes.

2. Affiliate Fraud - This is where scammers pose as legitimate entrepreneurs who want to promote the products and services of an online business as an affiliate, in order to earn commissions for each sale that they generate for the ecommerce store. What they do is use their affiliate links to purchase the products of the ecommerce store through stolen cards and hacked financial accounts. They are mainly interested in cashing out their commissions as fast as possible, and not in getting the products that they bought. For this type of Internet fraud to work for scammers - What they look for are online businesses with affiliate programs that offer quick commission payouts.

To learn more about the latest forms of Internet fraud that are targeted at ecommerce shops today - You can sign up at BigScammers.Com. This is an online community where you can receive instant alerts and real time notices about the most recent online scams and Web crimes at the moment. These are sent out straight to your email whenever other users post scam complaints, file Web crime reports or leave helpful tips and pieces of advice in published posts.

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Fraud Prevention Tips For Financial Scams

A common prey for scammers is the common man. But companies are also in the net, as financial scams rock the world of commerce. Consumers worldwide need to be aware of the malpractices that can occur when it comes to financial scams. How do you ensure fraud prevention tips are in place so that financial scammers don't end up baiting you as the next victim? Here are the important fraud prevention tips to have in place, to ensure that your money or your personal information is not compromised.

Fraud Prevention Tip#1: Always Check the Claims of Scammers to Catch Them Redhanded

A common technique used by fraudsters is to call claiming to be from the police or the bank and trick you into giving details, withdrawing or transferring money into false accounts. You can bust their game by checking if the phone number is genuine.

Fraud Prevention Tip#2: Website Security is Important

Prior to entering sensitive information such as payment details, look for the “https” symbol at the beginning of the website address. Use a padlock or key icon next to the address bar on the device to ascertain the security features of the web address.  

Fraud Prevention Tip#3: Verify the Statements

Remember that banks and financial institutions will never check for details such as password or PIN. Details need to be stored as securely as can be.  This includes aspects like account security information. Never share the PIN, entry codes, passwords or secret data with those who contact you and present no verification. Information is never asked for on the phone or through an email. In case someone does ask you for this information, close the discussion as quickly as possible,  

Fraud Prevention Tip#4: Act With Caution

Keeping your antivirus software updated is the best way to remain safe online. You should download security software and protect your computer and details from being hacked online. Secure your online or mobile banking details for free.

Fraud Prevention Tip#5: Always Choose Official Links

Secure the apps, files and documents you download online by choosing official websites and app stores that cover the PIN to prevent anyone from observing it. Don't let anyone distract you at the time of transaction. Details asking for secure information should be proceeded with caution. When it is concerning fraud prevention, arm yourself with the knowledge and tools to safeguard yourself and not be a victim of fraud. Be clear about how to keep money safe, protect critical personal data and report a scam.

Conclusion

Whether it is fraudulent websites or fake emails, financial cybercrime is on the rise. You need to use a firewall to protect the computer and have an encrypted Wi-Fi network. Files should be backed up regularly and spam emails should not be responded to. Download the files and apps with caution and monitor your accounts regularly for scams or any suspicious activity. Scammers also try to be government officials and ask for money. Some even promise a substantial sum of “lottery” or “inheritance” money to those who promise it. Never pay for a prize or wire money. Do not part with financial or personal information. EuroPay, Mastercard and Visa cards are also prone to theft and data regarding the same can be used for pilfering your money. Online tools adopt the technology to enable POS transactions so you should be safe. But you need to guard your data from misuse.  Whether it's a tax fraud or a holiday scamming site, plenty of shell companies and crime syndicates have made financial scams their modus operandi. Use fraud prevention tips to safeguard your interest and protect your financial future  from imminent ruin.

[bigscammers-blog]

Newest Employment Scams & Fraud Websites

Job seekers continue to be among the main targets of scammers and organized crime groups for their phishing attacks and fraud websites. What they do is exploit the vulnerabilities of their intended victims by posting compelling fake job offers across online platforms where their target victims go to look for job vacancies. These include professional social networks like LinkedIn, classified job sites, micro sourcing job sites and other popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and the like.

Some scammers entice them with bogus reshipping job offers. Victims end up unknowingly participating in the illegal product fencing operations of the fraudsters who managed to trick them into believing this rogue employment offer. In the fraud websites used by these scammers, victims are promised huge salaries from popular tech companies and device manufacturers like Microsoft, Apple, Google and so on.

In some of these reshipping scams, job seekers are asked to fill out an online application form, which resides in some of the fraud websites that have been set up by these crooks. Once they do this, their sensitive credentials and confidential identity documents are logged, stolen and used for the other illegal activities of these scammers. Some of them sell these stolen details as fake identity packages to other criminals in the Dark Web.

However, more serious reshipping scams convince job seekers to actually participate, albeit unknowingly, in their product fencing operations. This is where products bought from ecommerce shops using stolen credit cards are shipped to the job seekers who accept this offer after being convinced by the mind-blowing guarantees and lucrative promises in the fraud websites used by criminals for carrying out similar employment scams.

Once they receive the products, they are instructed to ship it to an overseas location, which is supposedly the delivery address of the buyer. After a couple of weeks, unsuspecting users realize that they've been victimized by fraud websites and online scams, primarily because they do not receive any payment for their services. Many also get phone calls from the anti-cybercrime authorities of their local governments, which happens after ecommerce stores get excessive chargebacks, disputes and claims from the legitimate owners of the stolen credit cards.

How to Quickly Recognize Reshipping Fraud Websites

First, fraud websites that are used for reshipping scams usually drop popular household names of tech companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft and so on. This is to entice users and fool them into thinking that the fake job offers are vacancies at these large tech companies. Watch out for these telltale signs.

Second, if you encounter popular names of companies in those fraud websites that promise lucrative job offers, then you should make it a point to initially verify the veracity of the claims in those potential rogue sites. Do this by running the domains of those fake sites through a whois tool on the Internet. This will allow you to know the details of the person or company that registered the domains. Even if they use fake details, they won't be able to use the official details of those big companies.

Third, if no popular name of a large tech company, or any household organization for that matter, is mentioned in those fraud websites, then check the reputation and credibility of the person or group that registered the potential fake website. Look for reviews from other users, since job offers with lucrative guarantees and promises won't most likely be passed on by a lot of job seekers.

Fourth, learn as much as you can about the newest fraud websites and employment scams today. You can do this by visiting online communities where users can anonymously post scam complaints and file Web crime reports, such as BigScammers.Com. This website also provides instant notifications and real time alerts whenever a user posts or updates a scam complaint or a Web crime report in this website's user-generated content repository. You can conveniently get these updates by simply signing up at Big Scammers.

[bigscammers-blog]

How to File a Mobile Phone Fraud Report

The increase in popularity of mobile phones has greatly increased the number of mobile phone scams. Many fraudsters now see mobile users as a viable market for their malicious schemes. And since these schemes are still new many mobile users are easily tricked into submitting to the fraudster’s wishes, resulting in a high number of mobile fraud reports.

Mobile fraud comes in different ways. Some mobile phone fraud schemes may be delivered via text messaging or through a mobile phone call. All of these dubious schemes aim to manipulate and deceive mobile owners so they will follow the instructions of the fraudster such as paying for ransom, payment for IRS tax due, investment scams, employment fraud and others. Fraudsters pretty much communicate anything that they think would interest the victim or catch the victim's attention. This is the reason why there is a growing concern among government agencies and law enforcement units, so they are now encouraging more victims of mobile phone scams to file a fraud report. To give you some ideas how you can file a mobile scam report, see the details below;

Tips on How to File a Mobile Fraud Report

●     One of the primary steps to mobile fraud reporting is to first identify the type of fraud you wish to report. General types of fraud such as ransom messages or calls can be directed towards the local police. The local police can help you find the origin of the call or help you entrap the fraudster who has been threatening you. Although, many of these ransom fraud are usually empty threats, it is still best to make sure that you are safe.

●     File a scam report on mobile scams related to general consumerism to FTC or the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC accepts various of forms of fraud, including mobile fraud reports. The website has a dedicated page where you can answer questions pertaining to the fraud incident that you wish to report. The FTC fraud experts will then decide whether your report has enough credits for proper investigation.

●     A recent mobile fraud report on IRS scam has been circulating, asking people to pay up their tax due or they’ll face a lawsuit. Believing that they were dealing with a legit tax agent, many people became victims to this scam. This type of scam can be reported to TIGTA or Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. TIGTA offers an online platform that you can use to file a scam report related to mobile phone scams. 

●     You may also file a mobile scam report to SEC or Securities Exchange Commission. The SEC offers a platform that allow victims to file scam report pertaining to investment scams. Investment scammers often randomly send text message to showcase their low risk, high yield investment offer. Of course, this are all nothing but a hype. Once the victim sends money the scammer disappears along with the money from their victim. This type of investment scam can be reported to SEC. 

The details provided above are some of the best places where you can file a fraud report on mobile scams.    

[bigscammers-blog]

Fraud Protection Tips Against Phishing Attacks This 2017

Cyber fraud continues to cause a great deal of suffering in the lives of victims all around the world. They don't just lose considerable amounts of money to these online scams and malicious technologies. Many users end up with damaged reputations and relationships with their loved ones, and that's on top of losing their jobs, ruining their credit scores and racking up huge debts. That's why you need to think about the fraud protection strategies that you should follow whenever you use the Internet for your day-to-day activities.

Phishing fraud is one of the most common types of Internet scams today. This is designed to steal your private information, financial details, sensitive identity documents and other personally identifiable credentials. RSA FraudAction estimated in their recent reported that there were 120 new phishing attacks globally launched last year, and 60% of these phishing messages were targeted at American recipients. Since the likelihood of being hit with these phishing attacks is rather very high for comfort - You should learn even the most basic fraud protection strategies against phishing scams.

In fact, the most effective fraud protection strategies are usually the simplest and easiest to implement. Here are some of the most fundamental ways that you can do to avoid phishing attacks this year:

Fraud Protection Tips Against Phishing Attacks This 2017

1. During your day-to-day activities on the Web, make sure to activate the anti-phishing and anti-spam features of your email client program, Web browser, instant messaging tool, social media app and so on, if any. This is a proactive fraud protection strategy because these functions can flag and block possible phishing messages and spam.

2. Install a system security tool with real time threat scanning features, malware blocking functions and anti-phishing or anti-spam protocols in case your Web browser, email client program, social media apps and instant messaging tools don't have these built-in functions. This is another proactive fraud protection technique because you'll be able to catch malware in case you miss blocking some phishing messages and spam with malware attachments.

3. Never open suspicious emails, SMS and private messages from unknown senders. Albeit a simple fraud protection tactic, this is perhaps one of the most effective strategies to avoid online scams. Remember, scammers carry out mass emailing campaigns to try and victimize as many users as possible with as little resource cost on their part.

4. Don't completely trust the content of any message that you receive until you've completely verified its authenticity, even if it's from your family, friends and colleagues. Remember, a lot of fraudsters have the ability to hack into messaging accounts and use it for their online scams. This fraud protection tactic continues to help many users avoid being victimized by the latest phishing attacks today.

5. Don't click any link or download any attachment in a suspicious message, even if it's from a trusted contact. Many scammers set up websites that look exactly like popular sites, shopping platforms and social media sites. These are injected with secret auto downloading functions for malicious code that's injected with covert installation procedures. On the other hand, some fraudsters attach malware that's disguised as enticing photos and documents, which automatically installs itself in your device without your knowledge once you download or open it. This is another fraud protection tactic that has saved many users from a great deal of negative effects resulting from being victimized by the newest forms of malicious technologies and Web scams.

You should also consider signing up at BigScammers.Com. This is an online community where users like you can anonymously post online scam complaints and file Web crime reports. You'll learn about the newest tactics and schemes that are used by organized crime syndicates and solo fraudsters for their latest phishing attacks by reading through the postings of other users. You'll also learn fraud protection tips and strategies from cyber security experts and online privacy specialists who regularly help out in this online community by posting comments and the like.

[bigscammers-blog]

Why Hire a Fraud investigation Team?

There are a large number reasons why you should hire a professional fraud investigation team to handle your case. A fraud investigator plays an important role in establishing a case against a fraudster so you can recover your identity or recover your losses. Regardless of the type of fraud you want to be investigated, hiring a reliable fraud investigator or team of investigators is definitely one of the best options that you should take.

Fraud is becoming a major concern globally due to the continuously increasing number of fraud victims. There are different types of fraud that you can encounter both on and offline. Although, statistics show that the most number of reported fraud today is mainly due to malicious schemes conducted online. Conducting online fraud investigation is usually more complicated than an offline investigation, mainly since this type of fraud that requires certain form of specialization or expertise. This is the reason why hiring a professional fraud investigative team is highly recommended from online victims of fraud. To give you some idea about the benefits of hiring a reputable fraud investigation team, see the details below;

The Advantage of Hiring Fraud Investigation Teams

●     One of the top benefits of hiring a reputable fraud investigator is the efficiency. An experienced fraud investigator knows how to get the necessary evidence, where to get them and why they should get them. They say that experience is the best teacher, this is the reason why a seasoned fraud investigator already knows what you need. There is no more hit or miss process when securing evidence during the investigation since they already know which evidence will be helpful according to your purpose.

●     A reliable fraud investigator helps you save time. Unlike when you conduct your own investigation, an online fraud investigator already has the key resource people in place to help them acquire the information that they need in order to secure faster and more accurate investigation results.

●     A reliable licensed fraud investigation team knows how to ensure that all the evidence can be used in court. Obtaining evidence for fraud cases can be quite complicated due to various technical issues. By hiring an experienced fraud investigating team you no longer have to worry about this technical issue.

●     Experienced fraud investigation team is able to handle dangers that may come with their line of work. These investigators have their training, so they know how to deal with an aggressive subject that might pose a danger during the investigation. This is something that you might not be able to handle if you conduct the investigation yourself.  

The details provided above are just some of the many reasons why it is wiser to get a fraud investigation team to handle your fraud case. However, you must remember that many of these fraud investigators can be quite pricey, so before you decide to jump in remember to check your budget first.  If you have a limited budget, you can always discuss your option with the fraud investigation team that you wish to hire, where the team can come in during the crucial part of the investigation while you cover some of the less complicated investigative work.

[bigscammers-blog]

Internet Dating Scam Victims Tricked Into Participating in Product Fencing & Credit Card Fraud

Considerable numbers of online scam complaints and Web crime reports against Internet dating fraud were posted in BigScammers.Com this year. This coincides with the recent announcement of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), which shows a significant spike in the numbers of online dating scam victims. This report also indicates that a great deal of American users who hang out in popular dating sites and apps were also victimized by credit card fraud.

They also reported that a lot of these victims were also fooled into unknowingly participating in product fencing operations and credit card fraud. This resulted to victims ending up with ruined credit scores, huge debts and wrongful accusations of more serious offenses for possible cyber fraud. So, how do scammers fool online dating scam victims to unknowingly participate in these illegal activities?

New Tactics for Credit Card Fraud & Product Fencing Operations This 2017

Scammers and organized crime groups want to get as much benefit as possible from their illegal activities. That's why they think of new ways to squeeze their victims. At first, many of them are already satisfied with just committing credit card fraud by stealing the financial account credentials of online dating scam victims who are willing to pay the ransom that they ask for.

Now, their greed causes them to create tactics and schemes that allow them to fool their online dating scam victims into unknowingly participating in credit card fraud and product fencing operations. What they do is trick users into agreeing to partner up with them in a fake business arrangement.

They lure their intended victims into their cyber traps by promising huge returns in exchange for very minimal work. They just tell victims that what they only need to do is to handle the registration of a local business in their country, get an online merchant account for the newly registered business and do a few other management duties after the business starts to operate. For example, they tell victims that they need to do the tax-related paperwork, receive and ship back products, and accept as well as disburse the profits across the other overseas partners in the business. What they don't know at the time that they're doing this is that they're unknowingly participating in credit card fraud and product fencing activities.

That's because scammers just use the online merchant account to cash out stolen credit cards, and this is obviously credit card fraud. In terms of product fencing, the products that the fraudsters ask their victims to receive and ship back to designated overseas locations are stolen goods purchased using stolen credit cards and hacked bank accounts.

So, how can you quickly recognize potential business partnership scams like these, especially considering that they will almost surely create new tactics and schemes to fool more victims to unknowingly participate in credit card fraud and product fencing activities? The simplest and most convenient way for you to do is to keep at pace with the latest news about the various types of online scams and Web crimes out there today. To do this, you can just sign up at BigScammers.Com to get instantly notified whenever a victim posts a scam complaint in the user-generated content repository of this website. By doing this, you'll be able to learn about the newest tactics and schemes that are currently being used by criminals and organized groups to commit credit card fraud, product fencing operations and other variants of these online scams.