March 2010
FBI details most popular Internet scams
FBI says fake anti-virus, hitman, economic stimulus scams are but a few of the really popular ways to be ripped off
Online scams continue to be the scourge of the Internet and there seems to be no end to the “imagination” of these criminals. As part of its annual wide-ranging look at Internet crime, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took a look at the top Internet scams of 2009.
“The figures contained in [the FBI's] report indicate that criminals are continuing to take full advantage of the anonymity afforded them by the Internet. They are also developing increasingly sophisticated means of defrauding unsuspecting consumers. Internet crime is evolving in ways we couldn’t have imagined just five years ago,” said National White Collar Crime Center Director Donald Brackman in the report. Annual crime complaints reported to Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) have increased 667.8% between 2001 and 2009.
According to the FBI and the IC3 Web site, the “popular scam trends for 2009” included hitman scams, astrological reading frauds, economic scams, job site scams, and fake pop-up ads for antivirus software.
For more information on these terms and how they feature in the report on the top Internet scams of 2009, see the article in full as featured on Malware City.
RELATED INFO:
Source: www.networkworld.com
About Bitdefender®
Bitdefender is the creator of one of the world's fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified internet security software.Since 2001, the company has been an industry pioneer, introducing and developing award-winning protection. Today, Bitdefender technology secures the digital experience of around 400 million home and corporate users across the globe.
Recently, the company has won a range of key independent recommendations in the US, UK and across Europe, including ConsumerSearch, Which?, Stiftung Warentest and Taenk. Bitdefender antivirus technology has also finished top in leading industry tests from both AV Test and AV-Comparatives. More information about Bitdefender's antivirus products is available from the company's security solutions press room. Additionally, Bitdefender publishes Malware City providing the latest updates on security threats and helping users stay informed in the everyday battle against malware.