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INTERNET CRIME Complaints and Losses on the Rise |
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03/30/09 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reports of Internet scams and their financial toll continued to grow in 2008, according to the latest data by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which operates a website, www.ic3.gov, to collect and refer public complaints about Internet fraud. In 2008, more than $264 million was lost in 275,284 complaints—an average of $931 for every complaint—according to the 2008 Internet Crime Report, released March 30. Almost one-third of the complaints were for non-delivery of merchandise purchased online; auction fraud accounted for one in four complaints.
In the U.S. last year, California, New York, Florida, Texas, and the District of Columbia were home to half the perpetrators identified in complaints. Worldwide, perpetrators were most commonly from the U.S. (66.1%), followed by the United Kingdom (10.5%), Nigeria (7.5%), and Canada (3.1%). Here’s a look at the scams prompting the most complaints (by percentage), along with the average amount of money lost per complaint:
The data is posted in full on the IC3 website.
The 2008 figures represent a 33% increase in complaints and a $25 million increase in losses over 2007. E-mail and webpages were the two primary mechanisms scammers used to commit their crimes, underscoring the need to be vigilant and cautious online, particularly in transactions. The Internet Crime Report offers prevention tips to avoid online traps. You can also visit our Be Crime Smart page to learn about frauds, scams, and how to file tips and complaints. Resources: |