With advanced internet tools and mechanisms, it is no surprise that some people take advantage of the ease of communication and informal interaction the internet offers. Meeting complete strangers online is so much easier. The thrills of being anonymous lead some people to shed off their shyness and become more adventurous.
Meeting online is certainly different from meeting a person face-to-face. Online chatrooms make the getting to know you process a whole lot easier and faster. If chatting is not your thing then there are plenty of other options for you to meet people like emails, forums, message boards, social networking websites like MySpace and Friendster, blogging and so many others.
The internet, unfortunately, does not only generate positive results. Just as there are advantages for using internet, disadvantages are not far behind. There are things to be wary when using the internet. Like, giving personal details to a complete stranger, meeting people you met online with no chaperones, providing misleading information such as providing the wrong age or posting another person's picture in the profile.
There are a lot of opportunities to cheat or lie through the internet. Consequently, Internet crime happens. A number of crimes and the perpetrators are getting more and more creative in their approaches.
What exactly is Internet Crime?
Internet crime means is any crime committed on the internet or through the internet. As the internet becomes more sophisticated, so do the crimes.
It is easy to fall prey to internet crimes. The internet crime could be as petty as spam emails or, worst, one that could lead to deaths. It is usual for internet users to have their emails bombarded with spam messages. Forwarded chain-letters could be a culprit. Others send scam letters asking for money or detailing some elaborate schemes. Still others, deliberately infect others' computers with viruses, use pirated software or steal someone else's articles or an infringement on intellectual property laws.
There are other internet crimes are grave enough to merit attention. These crimes include phishing, credit card frauds, espionage, child pornography, online stalking, kidnappings and even murder due to online chats and so on.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
