NCJ Number
194344
Date Published
2002
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This annual report presented information on complaints received and referred by the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) to law enforcement or regulatory agencies for appropriate action in 2001.
Abstract
In partnership with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), established in 2000, addresses fraud committed over the Internet by facilitating the flow of information between law enforcement agencies and the victims of fraud. This is the first annual compilation of information on complaints received and referred by the IFCC to law enforcement or regulatory agencies from January 2001 through December 2001. It provides a snapshot of the prevalence and impact of Internet fraud. The report examines key characteristics of complaints, perpetrators, complainants, and the interaction between perpetrators and complainants. During this reporting period, the IFCC Web site received 49,711 complaints, 16,775 complaints of fraud, 33,940 complaints were referred to law enforcement agencies, and a total dollar loss of $17.8 million from all referred cases of fraud was recorded. Significant findings from the report included: (1) Internet auction fraud was the most reported offense; (2) nearly 76 percent of the alleged fraud perpetrators tended to be individuals, not businesses, 81 percent were male, and half resided in either California, Florida, New York, Texas, or Illinois; (3) over 70 percent of fraud complaints were male and half were between the ages of 30 and 50 with over one-third residing in either California, Texas, Florida, or New York; (4) the amount lost by complainants tended to be related to a number of factors such as business versus individual victims, male versus female loss victims, and age; and (5) electronic mail (E-mail) and web pages were two primary mechanisms where fraudulent contact took place. The information aids in the identification of current fraud patterns and trends and provides assistance to agencies working with other victims of the same offender. The report included three appendices: (1) types of Internet fraud; (2) best practices to prevent Internet fraud; and (3) complainant/perpetrator statistics by state. Tables and graphs