LISTCRIME'S

THREE (3) BASIC STEPS TO FIGHTING BACK AGAINST
CYBER CRIME AND IDENTITY THEFT

Listcrime is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information about cyber crime, we at Listcrime.com want to give home users and small businesses the advice they need to use the Internet safely. For the most part, references within this web page appear as links to the actual site that the information came from. I revert to customary referencing when citing non-WWW based sources. A bibliography of any sources not linked will appears at the end of this web page.

1. PLAN

2.REPORT

3.RESOLVE

 

2. REPORT PLACE A FRAUD ALERT AND REVIEW CREDIT REPORTS.  Okay now for a bit of bad news. Despite your best efforts to protect yourself, you have become a victim. Now what? Internet-related crime, like any other crime, should be reported to appropriate law enforcement investigative authorities at the local, state, federal, or international levels, depending on the scope of the crime.  Citizens who are aware of federal crimes should report them to their local or federal law enforcement agency. The problem that we have in today's society is that a majority of Federal Law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed and don't have enough agents and resources to combating cyber crime. The management in most federal agencies don't understand the basics of a computer so it is difficult for them to initiate policy that well help to combat this growing threat. Things are slowly getting better with education and attrition but progress is slow and being out paced by the cyber sleuth criminal.

Local Law Enforcement

If you are a victim you should try to immediately report the crime to local police. If the police are reluctant to take your report, ask to file a "Miscellaneous Incident" report, or try another jurisdiction, like your state police. Most local police departments are getting better at taking your information but most don't have the enough trained officers to work these types of cases.

You can check with your state Attorney General's office www.naag.org to find out if state law requires the police to take reports for identity theft and cyber crime.

WHATS NEEDED IN A POLICE REPORT

1. Date of birth, driver's license number, social security number, telephone numbers (work, home, and cellular), and e-mail addresses of every victim in the household
   Account numbers involved in the theft and the names of primary and secondary account holders
   
2. When and how the fraud or theft was discovered, and under what circumstances the victim became aware of the identity theft
   
3. Exact locations (addresses, businesses, persons involved) where fraudulent use of the identity occurred
   
4. Name, addresses (home and work), phone numbers, date of birth of every person involved in the incident
   
5. Names of financial institutions the victim has notified of the theft, along with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of customer service representatives or investigators who accepted the report, the dates and times of the reports, a brief summary of the conversation, and copies of any e-mail messages or faxes sent to or received from the financial institutions
   
6. Photocopies of any letters, account statements, and other documents associated with the case
   
7. A chronological log of the theft and the victim's actions since discovering the theft, to include information about the discovery of theft or fraud, possible locations of the theft, and names or descriptions of persons around when the theft might have occurred

Provide the police with as much documentation as possible. Make sure all compromised accounts are listed on the police report. Also, get a copy of the police report. Credit card companies, banks and credit reporting agencies may require you to show a police report to support your claim that a crime was committed.

During the early stages of the investigation it is important to determine the motive. The motive will help direct the investigation. The motive for financial crimes is usually greed, drugs, or revenge. Determining the motive requires investigators to conduct a detailed interview with the victim.

FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

In the United States, cyber crime fraud should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and to local and Federal and State authorities. The Federal Trade Commission is not a Federal Investigating agency. The FTC is more of a clearinghouse of information attempting to help coordinated Federal and State law enforcement's response to combating cyber crime. The FTC utilizes a program called the Consumer Sentinel.

The Consumer Sentinel is a one-stop, secure investigative cybertool and complaint database, on a separate restricted-access secure web site, that provides hundreds of law enforcement agencies immediate access to Internet fraud scams and consumer fraud-related complaints. It gives consumers a way to voice their complaints about fraud to law enforcement officials worldwide.

Federal, State, Local and some International Law enforcement agencies can access Consumer Sentinel through an encrypted Web site to determine whether a reported scheme is local, regional, national, or cross-border, and to help spot trends for law enforcement. The Web based secured program (For Law Enforcement Only) provides law enforcement a variety of tools to facilitate investigations. Law enforcement (BOTH STATE & FEDERAL) may or may not further investigate the complaint, depending on the amount, type of fraud, and where the fraud originated from.

The primary federal law enforcement agencies that investigate domestic crime on the Internet include: the United States Secret Service, Department of Justice , Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) , United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Each of these agencies has offices conveniently located in every state to which crimes may be reported. Contact information regarding these local offices may be found in local telephone directories. In general, federal crime may be reported to the local office of an appropriate law enforcement agency by a telephone call and by requesting the "Duty Complaint Agent."

NOW THE BAD NEWS

Federal agencies that investigate cyber crimes or any other crime must take their investigations to the U.S. Attorneys Office for prosecution. Unfortunately if the amount stolen is not high enough the case will not be accepted.

What commonly happens is that U.S. Attorney's office for these federal agencies will decline prosecution because your monetary loss is just not enough for them to seek prosecution at the federal level.

An Assistant United States Attorney has discretion to decline to prosecute a case based on several considerations. The Assistant United States Attorney must decline if the evidence is too weak. The Assistant United States Attorney is ethically bound not to bring criminal charges unless the admissible evidence will probably be sufficient to obtain a conviction. However, even when the evidence is sufficient, the Assistant United States Attorney may consider that there is not a sufficient federal interest served by prosecution, but that the defendant is subject to prosecution in state or local court.

SEE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WEB SITE

CLICK HERE: WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT CYBER CRIME?

 

CLICK HERE: LISTCRIMES WHAT BAD GUYS DO ONLINE WITH YOUR INFORMATION

Click Below to contact other Federal reporting agencies:

THE STOP INITIATIVE TO PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (www.stopfakes.gov) U.S. trading partners efforts to protect and enforce intellectual property (IP).

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET
This website gives you information on how to report child pornography to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

THE COMPUTER CRIME AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECTION (CCIPS) is responsible for implementing the Department's national strategies in combating computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide. The Computer Crime Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to combat electronic penetrations, data thefts, and cyberattacks on critical information systems.

LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS a list of local police departments in your area

COMPLAINTS ABOUT FOREIGN COMPANIES
Report complaints about transactions with foreign companies. Certified government agencies may use this information to investigate suspect companies and individuals, uncover new scams, and spot trends in fraud.

NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE COORDINATING CENTER (report national security and infrastructure issues) Department of Homeland Security, protecting our homeland

CONSUMER COMPLAINT FORM
Report both civil and criminal complaints, such as Internet, telemarketing, and other consumer-related fraud through the Consumer Sentinel database. This tool is used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies to gain immediate and secure access to your complaint.

U.S. COMPUTER EMERGENCY READINESS TEAM (U.S. CERT) (online reporting for technicians) The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.

FURTER WAYS TO REPORTFROM CYBERCRIME.GOV
View this helpful chart of where to report various Internet-related crimes, including hacking, spam, copyright piracy, and child exploitation.

IDENTITY THEFT
If you believe you have been the victim of identity theft, use this form to send a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps them investigate fraud and can lead to law enforcement action. 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATTORNEY GENERALS The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) was founded in 1907 to help Attorneys General fulfill the responsibilities of their office and to assist in the delivery of high quality legal services to the states and territorial jurisdictions

INTERNET FRAUD COMPLAINT CENTER
Alert authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation through the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC). The IFCC serves as a central place for Internet fraud complaints, works to find fraud patterns, and provides timely data of fraud trends.

INTERNET INVESTMENT FRAUD
File concerns and problems with individual investors at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Complaints can alert the SEC to a bad broker or firm, an unfair practice in the securities industry, or the latest Internet fraud.

 

 

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