Chapter 6 - Online Crime and Fraud

Internet fraud is a way of taking money from victims by some clever and manipulating scheme using online applications like e-mails, chat rooms, auctions, web malls.

But how can you tell that it might be a scam?
I will just point out few points mentioned in the Fraud.org webpage:
Someone offers you something that sound too good to be true
Promises that you can win money, make money, or borrow money easily
Refuses to give you details(e.g. address) of offer before you make any payment
Uses scare tactics or pressure to act immediately

One possible Internet scam on selling good on one web page can have the following scenario:
1.Some criminal build up internet webpage to sell furniture
2.They make advertisement so their page can be recognized
3. Blue-eyed customers can not believe that they can buy a sofa for so cheap. But of course they have heard that everything is cheaper in internet so they think it should be like that.
4. Without checking background of the company and the webpage customers make their first uncredible order. They need to pay in advance all the sum and wait for some time to receive the furniture.
5. After the promised deadline by the seller has passed from a long time the customer makes a call and asks when does he sees his sofa? The answer will be most probably some lie that the goods are stacked in customs of factory is doing so well that they have longer deadlines etc.
6. Then for a while when the customer is again trying to contact the seller most probably the phone numbers are dead...

So be aware of the scams going on in Internet and make sure always do some backup search before sending money to someone or buying something from web.


Like the website "Whats the Bloody Point?" one headline describes it consists bate for some money schemers. The author describes himself as peoples entertainer. By responding to fraud letter senders he plays along like he has no idea about the scam that the sender is planning. These are on one hand entertaining to read but on the other hand educative to know that frauds like this exist. I like the way author is responding to the letters. Someone has to reply to schemers and give them at least that kind of lesson. Of course these real life examples are good for the others to learn from.