How Do You Report Attempted Internet Scams?
Internet scams are a fast-growing problem. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) states that online scam reports rose 22.3 percent between 2008 and 2009, with total losses of $559.7 million. Savvy Internet users often recognize scam hallmarks, which include generic greetings, odd return email addresses and links, requests for money or personal information and demands for immediate action, according to the Pennsylvania attorney general. They can help others avoid the same scams by reporting them before deleting the messages. Fill out the form on the Consumer Fraud Reporting website. Law enforcement agencies focus on cases in which people are harmed financially. They are not interested in attempted fraud, but Consumer Fraud Reporting compiles lists of common scams and warns people about them. Forward scam emails to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at spam@uce.gov. The FTC explains that it maintains a database of attempted online scams and provides information to law enforcement age
