The BBC reports that India's new and naive Internet users are falling to fraud as every month millions go online for the very first time.
Fraudsters who have worn out their welcome in other parts of the world such as Nigeria's AFF (Advanced Fee Fraud or 419 fraud) scammers, have found plentiful pickings among Indians who are new and discovering the Internet with all of its varied offerings, including crooks, scammers, and con artists.
In fact, 419 fraud has found exceptional pickings in India with $870 million going down the tubes in 2013 to 2014 according to the Hindustan Times. These frauds not only represent personal disasters for millions of Indians, but bumper crops of revenue for terrorists like Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, and other groups.
Scams can include consumer frauds such as fake auctions, fictitious lotteries, job offers, visas, and work permits for jobs abroad.
How to Report Fraud Online
If you have been defrauded, the biggest disaster lies in not reporting it.
In fact, criminals who perpetrate such cons rely on their victims to be too ashamed to go to the authorities, or even tell friends or family members what has happened. People feel gullible and ashamed, and that keeps them quiet. Unfortunately it also keeps the criminals in business.
The more noise and light that a criminals actions receive, the more notice is drawn to them. And if there is something that criminals can't abide, it's people noticing and paying attention to what they're doing. Just like a thief runs from noise and light, so do cyber criminals they pack up shop and go somewhere else.
In fact it was a man complaining that his credit card had been compromised who led to the capture and imprisonment of Raju Tevar – and his laptop containing the credit card data of 30,000 people. If you are a victim of credit card fraud there are four steps that you must absolutely take as soon as possible.
- Immediately inform the bank the second that you notice any type of questionable transaction in your account. It doesn't matter how small, immediately call or visit your bank as soon as you notice such activity. After you report the fraudulent activity the bank must take all due diligence to prevent further fraudulent transactions.
- Contact your banking ombudsman if the bank will not give you the satisfaction of a reply or authoritative action.
- If the previous two steps do not yield any satisfaction, and you have not been refunded your money, or held responsible for a fraudulent debt, you may need to approach the appellate authority at the Reserve Bank of India.
- Finally, you can go directly to a criminal court by filing a first information report at a police station.
Also, as previously stated, the more noise and light you bring to the situation the less likely the thief is to reappear somewhere else.
Criminals do not like to be noticed, so by reporting and complaining about them you not only make it more likely that they will leave, or that others will not fall victim to them, but that they will be caught. Complaints to the state such as through the Serious Fraud Information Office can bring beneficial official notice.
Power to the People
Among the most powerful actions that you can take in preventing cybercrimes is to use the Internet to complain about the criminals at the very top of your lungs. Consumer complaint websites are one of the most powerful tools against Internet consumer frauds.
By complaining in a detailed, coherent, and reasoned fashion can inform others and prevent them from falling victim to the same scams. Turning the Internet against the crooks is a poetic irony, considering that they use the Internet to find their victims. Anyone searching for information can find websites where people air their encounters and grievances with companies and persons who have perpetrated or attempted to perpetrate frauds.
In much the same vein as a squeaky wheel being the one that gets the grease, by making a lot of noise about criminal acts, people are informed how not to become victims. Further the authorities can be informed as to the extent of the illegal activities, and the harm that has been rendered.
Keeping quiet out of shame for being taken advantage of only puts the power in the hand of the criminals. By speaking out, and speaking up you can inform others, and also know that you are not alone.