Waspada agar tidak jadi korban: Top Five Online Scams

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Top Five Online Scams
Thu Mar 10, 3:00 AM ET
        

Dan Tynan

After years of trying to recover from the dot-com hangover, the
Internet is booming again. Online retail sales increased by 26 percent
in 2004, according to comScore Networks. In September 2004, the number
of domain name registrations hit 64.5 million--an all-time high. You
know what else is on the rise? Internet crime.

Complaints about online fraud nearly doubled from 2003 to 2004,
according to a December 2004 report by the FBI (news - web sites) and
the National White Collar Crime Center. Research firm Gartner
estimates that nearly 10 million Americans were hit by online
fraudsters last year--largely due to a wave of phishing e-mails
seeking to steal users' identities.

In fact, phishing attacks seem to be the new, hot scam. Scammers send
you an e-mail that tries to lure you to a legitimate-looking Web site
where you'll be asked to enter personal information. The thing is,
it's all fake; and if you fall for it, someone is ready to take your
Social Security (news - web sites) Number and start opening credit
card accounts.


The FBI recently began warning people of scammers posing as
tsunami-relief organizations. And late last month, the FBI warned that
someone out there was even posing as the FBI itself--sending a
fraudulent e-mail with the subject line "FBI Investigation" and trying
to lure people into buying products from a separate, fictional scam
artist whom the Feds were supposedly on to.

Confusing? Sure. But just ask yourself this: When was the last time
the FBI sent a polite e-mail when they wanted someone's cooperation in
an investigation?

Thousands of con artists, grifters, fraudsters, and other denizens of
the dark are trolling for victims online. Can you recognize online
fraud when you see it? Here's a quick guide to the Top 5 scams and
schemes you're most likely to find on the 'Net.

1. Auction Fraud

The setup: Online auction fraud accounts for three-quarters of all
complaints registered with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center
(formerly the Internet Fraud Complaint Center). There are many types
of eBay chicanery, but the most common one is where you send in your
money and get nothing but grief in return.

What actually happens: You never get the product promised, or the
promises don't match the product. The descriptions may be vague,
incomplete, or completely fake. One scammer accepted bids for Louis
Vuitton bags that she didn't own, and then scoured the Internet
looking for cheap knockoffs that cost less than the winning bid. She
managed to collect at least $18,000 from bidders before she got
nailed. A buyer thought he'd purchased a portable DVD player for $100,
but what he got instead was a Web address for a site where he could
buy a player for a $200 discount. The stories are virtually endless.

The risk: You get ripped off, losing time and money. If you spill the
beans about the scam, the seller may retaliate by posting negative
eBay reports about you using phony names.

The question you've gotta ask yourself: Who in their right mind would
sell a $200 bag for $20?

2. Phishing Scams

The setup: You receive an e-mail that looks like it came from your
bank, warning you about identity theft and asking that you log in and
verify your account information. The message says that if you don't
take action immediately, your account will be terminated.

What actually happens: Even though the e-mail looks like the real
deal, complete with authentic logos and working Web links, it's a
clever fake. The Web site where you're told to enter your account
information is also bogus. In some instances, really smart phishers
direct you to the genuine Web site, then pop up a window over the site
that captures your personal information.

The risk: Your account information will be sold to criminals, who'll
use it to ruin your credit and drain your account. According to
Gartner, phishing scammers took consumers (and their banks, who had to
cover the charges) for $1.2 billion in 2003.

The question you've gotta ask yourself: If this matter is so urgent,
why isn't my bank calling me instead of sending e-mail?

3. Nigerian 419 Letter

The setup: You receive an e-mail, usually written in screaming capital
letters, that starts out like this:

"DEAR SIR/MADAM: I REPRESENT THE RECENTLY DEPOSED MINISTER OF
AGRICULTURE FOR NODAMBIZIA, WHO HAS EMBEZZLED 30 MILLION DOLLARS FROM
HIS STARVING COUNTRYMEN AND NOW NEEDS TO GET IT OUT OF THE COUNTRY..."

The letter says the scammers are seeking an accomplice who will
transfer the funds into their account for a cut of the total--usually
around 30 percent. You'll be asked to travel overseas to meet with the
scammers and complete the necessary paperwork. But before the
transaction can be finalized, you must pay thousands of dollars in
"taxes," "attorney costs," "bribes," or other advance fees.

What actually happens: There's no minister and no money--except for
the money you put up in advance. Victims who travel overseas may find
themselves physically threatened and not allowed to leave until they
cough up the cash. (FYI, "419" is named for the section of Nigeria's
penal code that the scam violates.)

The risk: Serious financial loss--or worse. Victims of Nigerian letter
fraud lose $3000 on average, according to the FBI. Several victims
have been killed or gone missing while chasing a 419 scheme.

The question you've gotta ask yourself: Of all the people in the
world, why would a corrupt African bureaucrat pick me to be his
accomplice?

4. Postal Forwarding/Reshipping Scam

The setup: You answer an online ad looking for a "correspondence
manager." An offshore corporation that lacks a U.S. address or bank
account needs someone to take goods sent to their address and reship
them overseas. You may also be asked to accept wire transfers into
your bank account, then transfer the money to your new boss's account.
In each case, you collect a percentage of the goods or amount transferred.

What actually happens: Products are purchased online using stolen
credit cards--often with identities that have been purloined by
phishers--and shipped to your address. You then reship them to the
thieves, who will fence them overseas. Or you're transferring stolen
funds from one account to another to obscure the money trail.

The risk: Sure, you can make big bucks for a while. But after a few
months, you're going to look inside your bank account and find it
cleaned out. Worse, when the feds come looking for the scammers,
you're the one they're going to nail.

The question you've gotta ask yourself: Why can't these people receive
their own darn mail?

5. "Congratulations, You've Won an Xbox (news - web sites) (IPod,
plasma TV, etc.)"

The setup: You get an e-mail telling you that you've won something
cool--usually the hot gadget du jour, such as an Xbox or an IPod. All
you need to do is visit a Web site and provide your debit card number
and PIN to cover "shipping and handling" costs.

What actually happens: The item never arrives. A few months later,
mystery charges start showing up on your bank account. The only thing
that gets shipped and handled is your identity. (A more benign
variation on this scam drives you to a site where you're asked to
cough up your contact info and agree to receive spam from advertisers
until unwanted e-mail is coming out of your ears.)

The risk: Identity theft, as well as lost money if you don't dispute
the charges.

The question you've gotta ask yourself: When did I enter a contest to
win an Xbox (iPod, plasma TV, etc.)?

Award-winning journalist Dan Tynan has written about Internet scams
and scammers for more than a decade. He's the author of PC World's
Gadget Freak column and the upcoming book, Privacy Annoyances
(O'Reilly Media, 2005). He has never come to the rescue of a deposed
African bureaucrat.





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