INTERNET FRAUD
PROTECT
YOURSELF and YOUR WALLET WITH U.S.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION FROM THESE SITES:
NATIONAL FRAUD INFORMATION CENTER
http://www.fraud.org/info/aboutnfic.htm
This web page is "one-stop
shopping" for consumers who fear they have been scammed or want to arm
themselves against possible fraud on the Internet. The NFIC was originally
established in 1992 by the National Consumers League, the oldest nonprofit
consumer organization in the United States, to fight the growing menace
of telemarketing fraud by improving prevention and enforcement. For more
information about NCL and the other projects and programs that it conducts,
please go to the NCL web site at http://www.natlconsumersleague.org/
The NFIC is the only
nationwide toll-free hotline for consumers to get advice about telephone
solicitations and report possible telemarketing fraud to law enforcement
agencies. In 1996, the Internet Fraud Watch was created, enabling the NFIC
to offer consumers advice about promotions in cyberspace and route reports
of suspected online and Internet Fraud to the appropriate government agencies.
Consumers can call
the NFIC hotline toll-free at 1-800-876-7060 or send their questions to
the NFIC via this web site. The NFIC's trained counselors help consumers
identify the danger signs of possible fraud and direct them to the right
places for more information, if needed. Consumers can also report suspected
telemarketing or Internet fraud through the NFIC hotline or web site. These
reports are relayed to a variety of local, state and federal law enforcement
agencies, alerting them to problems that they may wish to investigate and
providing them with the ammunition they need to stop fraud. The NFIC's
counseling and consumer reporting services are available in English and
Spanish, free of charge.
The NFIC's award winning web site not only
enables consumers to get answers to their questions and report possible
fraud, but it is a valuable educational tool. Check out the News &
Views section, the Internet Fraud Watch section, the telemarketing tips,
the special elder fraud information, and other features.
INTERNET FRAUD COMPLAINT CENTER
https://www.ifccfbi.gov/default.asp
The Internet Fraud Complaint Center is a cooperative venture between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). Other partners include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Consumers may file complaints via this web site and their comments will be forwarded to law enforcement and regulatory agencies for possible investigation.
FEDERAL CONSUMER INFORMATION CENTER
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/scamsdesc.htm
Stop by this site for award-winning
free federal information on saving money, investing, getting federal benefits,
buying cars and houses, staying healthy, parenting, solving consumer problems
(INCLUDING INTERNET FRAUD) and more. View and search full text versions
of hundreds of consumer publications along with the new Consumer Action
Handbook. Check out the "Scams and Frauds" link to access government
information about some of the latest scams, frauds, and consumer abuse
items in the news and on the Internet.
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
The Federal Trade Commission
enforces a variety of federal antitrust and consumer protection
laws. The Commission seeks to ensure that
the nation's markets function competitively, and are vigorous, efficient,
and free of undue restrictions. The Commission also works to enhance the
smooth operation of the marketplace by eliminating acts or practices that
are unfair or deceptive.
In general, the
Commission's efforts are directed toward stopping actions that threaten
consumers' opportunities to exercise informed choice. Finally, the Commission
undertakes
economic analysis to support its law enforcement efforts and to contribute
to the policy
deliberations of the Congress, the Executive Branch, other independent
agencies, and state and
local governments when requested.
In addition to carrying
out its statutory enforcement responsibilities, the Commission advances
the policies underlying Congressional mandates through cost-effective non
enforcement activities, such as consumer education.
CONSUMER.GOV
Consumer.gov -- is a "one-stop" link to a broad range of federal information resources available online. It is designed so that you can locate information by category -- such as Food, Health, Product Safety, Your Money, and Transportation. Each category has subcategories to direct you to areas within individual federal web sites containing related information. Consumer.gov is a "work-in-progress." Be on the lookout for more federal information sites added and a refined navigation mechanism.
OF SPECIAL INTEREST:
ScamAlert! provides current information on fraudulent and deceptive
practices in the marketplace, including the Internet. This feature appears
on each page, as necessary, and contains important law enforcement
information and tips to avoid scams.
In
the Spotlight showcases new education and consumer awareness
campaigns and other items of significant interest on all pages.
UNITED STATES POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE
http://www.framed.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/welcome.htm
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement branch of the U.S. Postal Service, empowered by federal laws and regulations to investigate and enforce over 200 federal statutes related to crimes against the U.S. Mail, the Postal Service and its employees. Postal inspectors investigate any crime in which the U.S. Mail is used to further a scheme, whether it originated in the mail, by telephone or on the Internet. The use of the U.S. Mail is what makes it a mail fraud issue.
If evidence of a postal-related violation exists, postal inspectors may
seek
prosecutive or administrative action against a violator; however, if money
is
lost to a fraudulent scheme conducted through the mail, inspectors do not
have the authority to ensure you are refunded your loss and cannot require
that products, services or advertisements, on the Internet or elsewhere,
be
altered.
Postal inspectors base their investigations of mail fraud on the number, pattern and substance of complaints received from the public. The Postal Inspection Service is interested in your concerns and will carefully review the information you provide.
If you feel you've been victimized in a mail fraud scheme that in any way
involves the U.S. Mail, submit a Mail Fraud Complaint Form to the U.S.
Postal Inspection Service.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is charged with investigating computer-related
crimes involving both criminal acts and national security issues.
Examples of criminal acts would be using a computer to commit fraud, or
using the Internet to transmit obscene material. In the national security
area, the FBI investigates criminal matters involving the Nation's computerized
banking and financial systems; the various "911" emergency networks; and
telecommunications systems.
A related FBI link, http://www.fbi.gov/programs/ipcis/index.htm
will take you to the FBI's Washington Field
Office Department of Infrastructure Protection and Computer Intrusion Squad.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
http://www.sec.gov/
The Securities and Exchange Commission has
many informative links on this web page to help consumers stay informed
and avoid falling prey to Internet scams as well as more convententional,
"old-fashioned" methods of investment fraud. This site includes a
very handy tip-sheet for would-be investors called
"Avoiding Internet Investment Scams:
Tips for Investors." Topics of special interest include online
investment newsletters, electronic bulletin boards, how to use the Internet
to invest wisely, email spamming, state securities regulators, online pyramid
schemes, off-shore fraud, and other sometimes "shady" deals.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
For consumer information about communications,
try this website! Whether you are listening to the radio, watching TV,
talking on the phone, using your pager –– you're involved in communications.
The Federal Communications Commission, works to make sure that the nation’s
communications systems are operating in the consumer's best interest.
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Internet FDA is devoted to providing consumers, health professionals, industry, patients, and state and local officials with information about food and drug products. If you are thinking about purchasing food products or drugs on the Internet, check this site first to avoid being the victim of a scam!
US Department of Justice
To check out what the US Department
of Justice has to say about Internet fraud, see their special page on the
subject at http://www.usdoj.gov/
There is an excellent summary
of Internet fraud here that gives consumers a plethora of advice and places
to go for help if they are victims of this type of fraud.
OTHER HELPFUL GOVERNMENT LINKS:
* The nation's 50 state Attorneys General are also responsible for protecting the public against fraudulent and deceptive telemarketers and others who prey on unsuspecting victims. Several of them have their own web sites and can provide you with specific information on their activities. To find the addresses and Internet links for these offices, go to http://www.fraud.org/info/links.htm#federal
* For information on charities, contact the National Charities Information Bureau.
* For information on health, medicine or health products, check out the United States Department of Health and Human Services Healthfinder.
* For information on Identity Theft, check out the Federal Government's Central ID Theft Information Site.
* For information on privacy issues and further information on Identity Theft, contact the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
* For information on financial planning, contact the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.
* To get reports on specific businesses, contact the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
* Writer
Beware, sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America,
offers warnings for writers about publishers, agents, and others
who engage in fraudulent solicitations and other questionable activities.
* Like online auctions?
Protect yourself and your cash by stopping by Auction
Watch, a site devoted to responsible online auction businesses.
This site includes great advice, reviews of all the major online auction
sites, news and bulletins about online auction scams, and a tutorial on
common Internet auction scams.
These
links are just the "tip of the iceberg" where Internet fraud is concerned.
Many of the links above contain other links that may be of interest to
you. Be sure to check them out, and protect yourself online!
This page created by Virginia M. Dilworth, Graduate Student, College of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina, for CLIS J734, in October 2000. Comments or questions? Contact me at j_dilworth@hotmail.com