Internet Crimes, Scams, and Frauds

Internet crime schemes that steal millions of dollars each year from victims continue to plague the Internet through various methods. The IC3's, (Internet Crime Complaint Center) mission is to provide the public with a reliable and convenient reporting mechanism to submit information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning suspected Internet-facilitated criminal activity and to develop effective alliances with law enforcement and industry partners. Information is analyzed and disseminated for investigative and intelligence purposes to law enforcement and for public awareness. If you feel you have been scammed please visit the following site to make a report at http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has extensive resources on how to prevent scams and frauds. Protect your community by reporting fraud, scams, and bad business practices at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.

The following are preventative measures that will assist you in being informed prior to entering into transactions over the Internet:

Action Fraud

Before you bid, contact the seller with any questions you have.
Review the seller's feedback.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Ensure you understand refund, return, and warranty policies.
Determine the shipping charges before you buy.
Be wary if the seller only accepts wire transfers or cash.
If an escrow service is used, ensure it is legitimate.
Consider insuring your item.
Be cautious of unsolicited offers.

COVID-19 Vaccination Scam

You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine.
No one from a vaccine distribution site or health care payer, like a private insurance company, will call you asking for your Social Security number, credit card, or bank account information to sign you up to get the vaccine.
Beware of providers offering other products, treatments, or medicines to prevent the virus. Check with your health care provider before paying for or receiving any COVID-19-related treatment.
Do not respond to calls, emails, text messages, or even someone knocking on your door about vaccines, treatments, or early access.
Do not fall for ads on social media for vaccines, treatments, or clinical trials.
People should not buy any kind of vaccine or treatment on the internet or from an online pharmacy.

Credit Card Fraud

Ensure a site is secure and reputable before providing your credit card number online.
Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
If purchasing merchandise, ensure it is from a reputable source.
Promptly reconcile credit card statements to avoid unauthorized charges.
Do your research to ensure legitimacy of the individual or company.
Beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited emails.

Counterfeit Cashier's Check

Inspect the cashier's check.
Ensure the amount of the check matches in figures and words.
Check to see that the account number is not shiny in appearance.
Be watchful that the drawer's signature is not traced.
Official checks are generally perforated on at least one side.
Inspect the check for additions, deletions, or other alterations.
Contact the financial institution on which the check was drawn to ensure legitimacy.
Obtain the bank's telephone number from a reliable source, not from the check itself.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.

Debt Elimination

Know who you are doing business with — do your research.
Obtain the name, address, and telephone number of the individual or company.
Research the individual or company to ensure they are authentic.
Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Ensure you understand all terms and conditions of any agreement.
Be wary of businesses that operate from P.O. boxes or maildrops.
Ask for names of other customers of the individual or company and contact them.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

DHL/UPS

Beware of individuals using the DHL or UPS logo in any email communication.
Be suspicious when payment is requested by money transfer before the goods will be delivered.
Remember that DHL and UPS do not generally get involved in directly collecting payment from customers.
Fees associated with DHL or UPS transactions are only for shipping costs and never for other costs associated with online transactions.
Contact DHL or UPS to confirm the authenticity of email communications received.

Employment/Business Opportunities

Be wary of inflated claims of product effectiveness.
Be cautious of exaggerated claims of possible earnings or profits.
Beware when money is required up front for instructions or products.
Be leery when the job posting claims "no experience necessary".
Do not give your social security number when first interacting with your prospective employer.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Be wary when replying to unsolicited emails for work-at-home employment.
Research the company to ensure they are authentic.
Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.

Escrow Services Fraud

Always type in the website address yourself rather than clicking on a link provided.
A legitimate website will be unique and will not duplicate the work of other companies.
Be cautious when a site requests payment to an "agent", instead of a corporate entity.
Be leery of escrow sites that only accept wire transfers or e-currency.
Be watchful of spelling errors, grammar problems, or inconsistent information.
Beware of sites that have escrow fees that are unreasonably low.

Fake Charities

How It Works:

They request payment by cash, gift card, or wire transfer – these payment methods are difficult to trace.
They pressure to give immediately. A legitimate charity will welcome your donation whenever you choose to make it.
They send a bogus “thank-you” for a donation you didn’t make. Making you think you’ve already given to the cause is a common trick to convince you that you’ve supported their fake organization in the past.

If you want to give to charities, always look up their reports and ratings first on trusted sources including, give.org, charitywatch.org, guidestar.org, or charitynavigator.org.

Fake Travel Deals/Offers

How It Works:

You “won a free vacation” — but you have to pay some fees first
The prize company wants your credit card number
Scammers cold-call, cold-text, or email you out of the blue
Scammers don’t or can’t give you specifics
You’re pressured to sign up for a travel club for great future deals
You get random robocalls about fake travel offers

How To Avoid Being Scammed:

Get recommendations from family and friends about the companies they use and like
Call to verify your reservations and arrangements
Get a copy of the company's cancellation and refund policies before you pay for the trip
Pay by credit card -- it's easier to dispute false charges
Ask about mandatory hotel "resort fees"
Ask questions before joining a travel club -- find out what you'll get for your money and how you can cancel

Identity Theft

Ensure websites are secure prior to submitting your credit card number.
Do your homework to ensure the business or website is legitimate.
Attempt to obtain a physical address, rather than a P.O. box or maildrop.
Never throw away credit card or bank statements in usable form.
Be aware of missed bills which could indicate your account has been taken over.
Be cautious of scams requiring you to provide your personal information.
Never give your credit card number over the phone unless you make the call.
Monitor your credit statements monthly for any fraudulent activity.
Report unauthorized transactions to your bank or credit card company as soon as possible.
Review a copy of your credit report at least once a year.

Internet Extortion

Security needs to be multi-layered so that numerous obstacles will be in the way of the intruder.
Ensure security is installed at every possible entry point.
Identify all machines connected to the Internet and assess the defense that's engaged.
Identify whether your servers are utilizing any ports that have been known to represent insecurities.
Ensure you are utilizing the most up-to-date patches for your software.

Investment Fraud

If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Beware of promises to make fast profits.
Do not invest in anything unless you understand the deal.
Don't assume a company is legitimate based on "appearance" of the website.
Be leery when responding to invesment offers received through unsolicited email.
Be wary of investments that offer high returns at little or no risk.
Independently verify the terms of any investment that you intend to make.
Research the parties involved and the nature of the investment.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.

Lotteries

If the lottery winnings appear too good to be true, they probably are.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Be leery if you do not remember entering a lottery or contest.
Be cautious if you receive a telephone call stating you are the winner in a lottery.
Beware of lotteries that charge a fee prior to delivery of your prize.
Be wary of demands to send additional money to be eligible for future winnings.
It is a violation of federal law to play a foreign lottery via mail or phone.

Nigerian Letter or "419"

If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Do not reply to emails asking for personal banking information.
Be wary of individuals representing themselves as foreign government officials.
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Beware when asked to assist in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.
Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
Guard your account information carefully.
Be cautious when additional fees are requested to further the transaction.

Phishing/Spoofing

Be suspicious of any unsolicited email requesting personal information.
Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal information.
Always compare the link in the email to the link that you are actually directed to.
Log on to the official website, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited email.
Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the email to verify if the email is genuine.

Ponzi/Pyramid

If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is.
Beware of promises to make fast profits.
Exercise diligence in selecting investments.
Be vigilant in researching with whom you choose to invest.
Make sure you fully understand the investment prior to investing.
Be wary when you are required to bring in subsequent investors.
Independently verify the legitimacy of any investment.
Beware of references given by the promoter.

Reshipping

Be cautious if you are asked to ship packages to an "overseas home office."
Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
Be leery if the individual states that his country will not allow direct business shipments from the United States.
Be wary if the "ship to" address is yours but the name on the package is not.
Never provide your personal information to strangers in a chatroom.
Don't accept packages that you didn't order.
If you receive packages that you didn't order, either refuse them upon delivery or contact the company where the package is from.

Spam

Third Party Receiver of Funds

Unemployment Insurance Fraud

How It Works:

You receive a debit card or an unemployment insurance letter that you never applied to receive.
Your employer notifies you that a claim for benefits has been filed when you have not been separated from employment.
You attempt to file a claim online and one already exits.
You receive IRS correspondence regarding unreported unemployment insurance benefits.
You receive notice of a state or federal tax offset.

What To Do If You Suspect You Have Been a Victim:

Report the fraudulent claim with IDES here.
DO NOT activate the debit card that was mailed to you.
DO NOT contact KeyBank.
Request your free credit reports via www.annualcreditreport.com and review them for other fraudulent activities.

For most up to date information, visit the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) website.

Vacation Rental Scam

If you're getting ready for a vacation and planning to use popular vacation rental websites, such as AirBnB, HomeAway, or VRBO to find your next getaway, beware of online scammers.

How It Works

Scammers post completely fake rental listings using images they find online, or they steal pictures and property details from legitimate rental listings to create their own listing with the scammer’s contact information. When someone inquires about the fake listing, the scammer requests a security deposit or a down payment.

Once the scammer receives the money, they’ll cancel the reservation last minute, or you will arrive at your vacation home to find that the property is already booked, or that the property doesn’t even exist.

How To Avoid Being Scammed

Book official: Only use reputable websites that offer protection against fraud and have a secure payment portal.
Make sure that the property exists: Search for the property on Google Maps or another mapping service. If you know someone in the area that you will be visiting, ask them to check out the property for you. Scammers might use an address that does not exist, or use the address of a random company, vacant building, or parking lot.
Research the rental listing: Search online for the property owner’s name and address, and look for images of the property, before you make a deposit. If you find multiple listings with different contact information, reconsider booking the property.
Read the reviews: If a property has multiple negative reviews, or doesn’t have any reviews, consider a different property.
Only make payments through the official website for the rental listing: Scammers often try to get you to pay with a check, wire them money directly, or use services like MoneyGram or Western Union to make a payment.