Although the number of Internet crime victims rose in 2005, those victims rarely filed a report with the proper authorities or notified a police department of the crime.
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s “2005 Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data,” 61% of Internet fraud victims did not notify law enforcement when victimized by Internet crime. Moreover, the FBI’s “2005 Small Business Computer Crime Survey” indicated that only 9% of those businesses that experienced a computer security incident reported it to a law enforcement agency. Not reporting crimes to law enforcement makes it more difficult to catch and prosecute online criminals, allowing them to operate with impunity.
Here's how to file a complaint about various types of Internet-related problems:
Stolen Data: Business and Customer
Describe law enforcement forensics
Destroyed Data: Disasters
What if there were a fire, flood, theft, etc.
Hacking or a Computer Virus
If your computer gets hacked or infected by a virus, disconnect from the Internet and scan it with fully updated anti-virus software, and update your firewall. Then notify both your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the hacker's ISP, if you can tell what it is. Finally, file a complaint with the FBI.
Spyware/Malware
If you believe your computer has spyware, download a spyware , the FTC wants to know. File a complaint with the FTC.
Spam
Should you receive an email that you think may be fraudulent, forward it to the FTC at spam@uce.gov and to the abuse desk of the sender's ISP. Also, if the email appears to be impersonating a bank or other company or organization, forward the message to the actual organization.
ID Theft
If your information has been misused, file a report about your identity theft with the police, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Read Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft for detailed information on other steps to take in the wake of identity theft.
Online Shopping Fraud
If you have problems during a transaction, try to work them out directly with the seller, buyer or site operator. If that doesn't work, file a complaint with:
- The Attorney General's office in your state. You can find your state Attorney General's contact information on the website of the National Association of Attorneys General.
- Your county or state consumer protection agency. Check the blue pages of the phone book under county and state government.
- The Better Business Bureau.
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
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