U.S. Govt. Reports Rising Internet Fraud

Americans reported $240 million lost to Internet fraud in 2007, an all-time high.

Despite ever-increasing efforts to alert Internet users to potential scams, Internet fraudsters still cost duped Americans out of more money in 2007 than ever before. According to the U.S. government’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Americans reported $240 million in losses from Internet fraud in 2007, a $40 million increase from 2006.

The Center’s hefty 2007 Internet Crime Report [PDF] shows that 206,884 individual complaints were received in 2007, 90,000 of which were referred to local law enforcement agencies. Internet auction fraud was the most frequent complaint, but non-delivery of purchases and credit fraud were also high on the list, along with non-fraudulent complaints concerning computer intrusion, spam, and child pornography.

“The Internet presents a wealth of opportunity for would be criminals to prey on unsuspecting victims, and this report shows how extensive these types of crime have become,” said FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director James E. Finch, in a statement. “What this report does not show is how often this type of activity goes unreported. Filing a complaint through IC3 is the best way to alert law enforcement authorities of Internet crime.”