Online Safety. Be aware of these scams when you're. That’s why it’s important to take steps to protect yourself from and report internet fraud. Internet fraud is a type of fraud which makes use of the Internet. This type of fraud varies greatly and appears in many forms. It ranges from E-mail spam to online scams. Internet fraud can occur even if partly based on the use of internet services and is mostly or completely based on use of the internet. Internet fraud - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. An Internet fraud (online scam) is the use of Internet services or software with Internet access to defraud victims.

Some scammers call and claim to be computer techs associated with well-known companies like Microsoft or Apple. Other scammers send pop-up messages that warn about computer problems.

Business Fraud

They say they’ve detected viruses or other malware on your computer. They claim to be “tech support” and will ask you to give them remote access to your computer. Eventually, they’ll diagnose a non-existent problem and ask you to pay for unnecessary – or even harmful – services. If you get an unexpected pop-up, call, spam email or other urgent message about problems with your computer, stop.

Don’t click on any links, don’t give control of your computer and don’t send any money.

Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the U.S., announced a data breach that affects 143 million consumers. The hackers accessed Social Security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers. Equifax has launched a tool that will let you know if you were affected by the breach. Visit to learn if you were impacted.

You will need to provide your last name and the last six numbers of your Social Security number. If you are impacted, Equifax offers you a free credit monitoring service, TrustedIDPremier. However, you won’t be able to enroll in it immediately. You will be given a date when you can return to the site to enroll.

Equifax will not send you a reminder to enroll. Mark that date on your calendar, so you can start monitoring your credit as soon as possible. If you detect suspicious activity on your credit report due to the breach, immediately. The FTC also offers more information to. Learn how to report and recover from identity theft.

Common Types of Fraud Scams affect every part of life. These people try to trick you out of your personal information and your money. The most common types of fraud fall under these categories:. The and the offer overviews of other types of fraud, plus what to do if you are a fraud victim. Most Popular Scams Get the information you need to protect yourself from being a victim of the latest scam tactics:. Don't fall for claims that you have won a lottery, prize, or can invest in a great opportunity, if you have to pay a small fee in advance. These letters promise to help you get rich quickly if you participate and forward the letter on to your friends and family. Scammers take advantage on your willingness to help people in need and charitable causes. They may collect your donation and keep it for themselves instead of using it to help those in need. Coupons can be a helpful way to save money on your purchases.

But beware of illegitimate offers. Scammers may create fake profiles on online dating sites and express interest in you, just so he or she can convince you to send them money. Some scammers hope that you are as eager to get rid of your debt as they are to scam you out of your money. Know the warning signs so you won't be their next victim. Don't be tricked by messages on your computer screen that claim that your machine is already infected with a virus. The realistic, but phony, security alerts exploit your fear of online viruses and security threats. Despite ads that say you qualify for a government grant, these are often scams. Be wary of responding to offers, email, or claims that use government agency names. Be wary of trusting all claims.

Take time to get the facts about a product first. A variety of scams offer entries into foreign lotteries or international investment opportunities. Be careful with email that is supposedly from the IRS. Scammers try to gain access to your financial information in order to steal your identity and assets. Be wary if you have to pay money or supply your credit card number to a company to apply for a job. Some scammers make big promises with work at home opportunities, but these may require you to engage in illegal activities. Someone calls pretending to be a court official who threatens that a warrant has been issued for your arrest because you failed to show up for jury duty. You receive a letter promising wealth or good fortune.

Someone falsely claims to be a member of the U.S. Military, stationed in a combat zone. This false soldier gets in an online relationship with someone on social media or a dating website, and asks for money for fake service-related expenses. Beware of letters and calls, supposedly from 'debt collectors' or 'court officials'. These scammers make threatening claims requiring you to pay money that you don't owe. These investments offer big profits, but really aren't based on revenue from selling products.

Instead, they depend on the recruitment of more investors. Avoid falling victim to email schemes involving unsolicited email supposedly sent by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and/or Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The email appears to be sent from email addresses such as mail@fbi.gov, post@fbi.gov, admin@fbi.gov, and admin@cia.gov. Scammers target bogus offers of government resources or financial services to trick active duty military personnel and veterans out of their money., and - All three of these scams rely on you replying to an email, phone call or text with personal information, such as your bank account or credit card numbers. Someone calls you, posing as a Social Security investigator. This person claims that there is a problem with your social security account.

They then tell you to call another number to resolve the problem. Scammers send bogus email, supposedly from a U.S. District Court, stating that you have to come to court. These messages are fake and may contain links that are harmful to your computer. Scammers pretend that there is a problem with your computer and then try to convince you to pay them to fix it. Not only can text message spam be annoying and cost you money on your mobile phone bill, but the messages are often for scams.

Report Frauds and Scams There are many different types of fraud and each may be reported differently. First, report the fraud to your local police department. You may also contact your (for example, consumer protection office) to report fraud. Violations of federal laws should be reported to the federal agency responsible for enforcement.

While federal agencies are rarely able to act on behalf of individuals, they use complaints to record patterns of abuse which allow an agency to take action against a company or industry. If you suspect fraud, take these steps:. Contact the or use the to report most types frauds. Report the IRS imposter tax collection scams to the or by calling. Report fraud that used the U.S.

Report identity theft or data breaches through. File complaints about internet-based frauds to the. Contact the to report instances of Medicare fraud. Report Medicaid fraud to. Use the to find the contact information for your office. File a complaint about e-commerce (business or trade that takes place on the internet) across international borders to.

Report other fraudulent business practices to the Department of Commerce's. Report immigration fraud, the illegal use of documents or illegal actions to get around U.S. Immigration laws, to the.

Report suspected census related frauds, where scammers act like they are collecting your personal information for the government, to the. If you are the victim of moving fraud, you have two options.

If you are moving within the same state, file a complaint with your. If your move is interstate, you can file your complaint with the. Report investing frauds to the or your. Contact the about credit and loan related frauds. The agency can also help you with frauds related to money transfers, credit reports, and other financial services. File a complaint with the for telephone related frauds, such as mysterious charges on your bill (cramming), an illegal switch of your service (slamming), or telemarketing.

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Visit for information on which agencies you should report banking, credit card, housing, and other financial frauds to. Report Social Security related frauds with the or using their. Report misuse of federal funds to through the FraudNet form. Report imposter frauds, where someone pretends to be from the government, company, employer, or someone you know, to the. Reporting a fraud to an agency my not recover what you lost, but it does improve your chances of recovering what you have lost. It also helps law enforcement authorities stop scams before other people become victims.

Report Suspected Tax Fraud If you suspect or know of an individual or business not complying with federal tax laws, to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). You may be eligible to claim a for reporting the fraud. To report state tax fraud, contact. Tax-related identity (ID) theft is another form of tax fraud. It happens when someone steals your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job.

Report this type of fraud using. Learn and learn the steps to report it.