The Internet has become a full-fledged living environment for many people. In its space, they not only find information of interest, download the necessary programs, music or games for entertainment for the weekend, but also make purchases, communicate, and work. Just like in real life, in the virtual world people are surrounded by attackers at every turn who dream of getting rich at their expense. What is Internet Fraud? Where should a deceived person turn? How to stop thriving illegal activities? These are pressing questions for many users of the World Wide Web.
Internet fraud and its most common types
Any actions in the web space aimed at obtaining funds, confidential information and personal data through deception are regarded as Internet fraud. Not everyone knows where to go. Measures are often not taken, and criminals continue to cheat and steal.
The most dangerous type of fraud is phishing. This is the name for luring out logins and passwords to personal accounts in payment systems, numbers and PIN codes for bank cards, and theft of personal data.
Some online stores engage in fraud. They require an advance payment from the buyer, and after that they refuse to send him the goods.
On the Internet, people encounter malware that blocks operating systems and social network accounts. And to correct the situation, you usually need to send an SMS message to a paid number.
Internet scams include pitiful spam letters asking to send money, offers to work from home with a deposit, financial pyramids.
What to do if there is activity on a phishing site or online store fraud? Where to go first?
How to recognize telephone scammers
Telephone fraud can be prevented by early detection that a criminal has contacted you. Even despite the fact that new deception schemes appear every day, scammers can be recognized by certain signs:
- a hidden or unfamiliar number that is best not answered;
- requirements to make decisions quickly;
- perseverance and self-confidence of the caller;
- unclear answers to questions;
- excessive persistence, turning into ingratiation and persuasion;
- nervousness when faced with counter questions;
- a request to transfer money or personal information, including a secret code on the back of the card.
All personal data of banking clients is kept secret and cannot be distributed even at the request of employees of a financial institution.
First Aid: Law Enforcement
For committing Internet fraud, criminal penalties are provided in accordance with its severity, so the first thing a person should do is contact law enforcement agencies. You can write a statement to the police or prosecutor's office. But there is a better solution to the problem. Department “K” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia is the place where you should turn first about Internet fraud. He is directly involved in the investigation of offenses in the web space.
Find out the address of department “K” in your region using the Internet, help desk, provider, go there and write a statement or complaint. You can also use the hotline to report a crime by phone. Department "K" also accepts applications online. Go to the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and fill out an application. It is necessary to provide law enforcement agencies with all known information about the fraudster, for example, his e-mail, e-wallet number, website URL. While the investigation is ongoing, additional measures can be taken to combat the perpetrator of Internet fraud. Where to go after submitting an application to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you ask. There are many options.
Additional questions
What to do if you are denied a criminal case
They can indeed refuse to initiate criminal proceedings, sometimes this is due to insufficient evidence, sometimes the investigation is considered hopeless. In case of an unlawful refusal, a complaint should be filed with the investigative committee and the prosecutor's office to check the actions of the police, it writes:
- controversial reasons for refusing to investigate;
- additional information about the crime;
- data of employees who refused to initiate a case.
Two copies of the complaint should be submitted: one is sent to the prosecutor's office, and the other, after receiving a mark of acceptance, is returned to the applicant. If law enforcement officers extort money or directly violate the law, this should be reported to the Ministry of Internal Affairs hotline at the number.
How to sue a site
Filing a lawsuit is possible if the user has become a victim of online deception by a legal entity (individual entrepreneur or organization). An application to the court is submitted after sending a written complaint to the dishonest seller.
Such claims are filed at the place of registration of the victim and are not subject to state duty.
A lawsuit for the recovery of unjust enrichment shall include the following information:
- the name of the judicial authority where the case will be heard;
- Full name of the plaintiff, his address details and contacts for feedback;
- the registration address of the defendant and the name of his organization;
- total amount of claim.
The text of the document lists facts of fraud on the part of an individual entrepreneur or other legal entity with references to the clauses of the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”. It is also necessary to indicate the claims against the defendant and attach evidence of fraud (screenshots of correspondence, receipts, etc.).
Is it possible to complain to Yandex
You can report a fraudulent site on the Yandex search engine page. To do this you will need to perform the following algorithm:
- Open Yandex search engine.
- Scroll down the page and go to the technical support tab.
- Select the “Complain” option from the drop-down list.
- Please indicate the type of problem. If the template options are not suitable, then select the “Other problems” option and state the situation.
- Fill out the electronic form. You can attach up to 10 screenshots to your complaint.
- Submit your application.
The application must contain links to pages of the fraudulent site where there are facts of violation of the law. The more evidence of fraud the user provides, the faster the request will be considered.
How to get your money back if you were scammed on Avito
Services Avito, Yula and others perform an intermediary function between the buyer and seller, therefore they are not responsible for concluding transactions on the site. The only thing the administration can do against an unscrupulous user is to block his profile.
If you have suffered from fraudulent activities on such sales services, then immediately contact the site’s technical support. If the administration’s attempts to resolve the controversial situation peacefully are unsuccessful, the fraudster will be blocked by IP address.
Fighting fraudsters: international cybercrime response center CERT-GIB
In addition to Department K, the international company Group-IB specializes in combating cybercrime. This organization has a response center for such incidents, CERT-GIB, where you can contact in case of fraud on the Internet around the clock.
The company has its own website. Just go to it and select the section dedicated to CERT-GIB. There is a phone number to call and report fraud. This can also be done via email, Telegram messenger or filling out an application. Group-IB specialists quickly respond to calls for help, check and block scam sites, and also provide valuable advice on collecting evidence and preventing similar incidents in the future; explain how to cope with the consequences of criminal activity.
Is the investigation inactive?
Petition to establish involvement Headquarters for assistance to elderly and disabled citizens We continue our work together. And substituting and receiving a call from abroad with a number and from the numbering capacity of the Russian Federation is a violation of the law
(Federal Law “On Communications”. Article 46. Obligations of telecom operators). Calls with spoofed numbers are impossible without unscrupulous operators - the huge traffic that such a function provides brings big profits (in practice, this area is also a mess, and therefore no one really tries to figure them out) If the sender is not familiar to you, do not open it.
We do not encourage you to refuse help to everyone who asks! But! Before transferring your money, check whether there are contact details for communicating with the parents (relatives, guardians) of the child. Call them, find them on social networks, chat and make sure their intentions are honest.
Project “Angry Citizen” on guard of order
Another way to confront thieves and deceivers is the Russian project “Angry Citizen”. He specializes in solving a variety of problems: from problems with hot water at home to theft of money online. In order to use the project's services, go to its website, select the required topic and fill out the complaint form.
“Angry Citizen” is the resource you need to turn to in case of Internet fraud if you are determined to return what was stolen. The actions of the project participants are prompt and produce excellent results. And this is confirmed by the numerous solved problems of citizens.
Application to the prosecutor's office in case of deception by a legal entity
- how and when the incident was detected (unauthorized transaction, fraud, etc.);
- about the used remote banking systems;
- whether deviations from the standard functioning of the device were observed during remote banking services;
- whether antiviruses were used;
- For what other purposes was the mobile device used (calls, SMS, working with Internet resources, downloading and viewing photo and video files, games, etc.).
From April 12 to April 23, the Office of Rospotrebnadzor in the Orenburg Region will operate a vaccine prevention hotline. Monday-Thursday from 9.00 to 17.30, Friday from 9.00 to 16.30 (lunch from 13.00 to 13.45) by the following phones: - Orenburg, 44-23-59, 35-14-68, 77-65-33; — Abdulino 8 (35355) 2-34-35; — Kuvandyk 8 (35361) 3-65-89; — Gai: 8 (35362) 4-17-52; — Novoorsk village: 8 (35363) 7-18-41; — Orsk: 8 (35372) 6-90-77; — Buzuluk: 8 (35342) 5-77-51; — Buguruslan: 8 (35352) 3-04-74; — Sorochinsk: 8 (35346) 4-59-32.
"Safe Internet League" will help catch a cybercriminal
If you have become a victim of phishing, a site with viruses, or abuse of personal data, the Safe Internet League will help you. The organization has been successfully fighting malicious content on the web for several years. She is respected in her field and poses a serious threat to scammers.
Submit an application on the official website of the Safer Internet League. It can be anonymous, depending on your desire. The request contains several required fields, for example, the address of the fraudulent site or one of its pages. Any additional information is welcome. Screenshots and names of infected objects will help to quickly expose the criminal. After this, try to independently neutralize the consequences caused by malicious Internet fraud. Where to go so that the criminal cannot spend your money and how to identify him are the most pressing questions after filing all kinds of applications.
Electronic payment systems are faithful allies of users who have suffered from fraudsters
Payment systems, for example, WebMoney, Yandex.Money or Paypal, can provide assistance. From them, gullible citizens transfer money to thieves.
Victims of phishing, spam emails, and unreliable online stores may contact, depending on the system used, arbitration, support or security service. Do not write a complaint based on emotions. Your words must be thoughtful and your demands reasoned. In case of obvious fraud, the attacker's account will be blocked. In addition, some payment systems have the passport data of their clients. If they cooperate with the investigation, the identity of the attacker will be established. And this will triple your chances of returning what was stolen.
What to do if the initiation of a case is refused
You need to start by studying the case materials; applicants have the right to familiarize themselves with the materials in order to understand the reasons for the refusal. To do this, you must leave a statement to the office staff to familiarize yourself with the procedural materials. Once the reason for the refusal becomes clear, you can file a complaint. It is important to prove that there is a reason to file a complaint: the actions of government officials do not comply with the law:
- are unreasonable;
- the reasons for the refusal are not stated;
- contradict criminal procedural legislation.
You need to file a complaint addressed to the head of the police department; the application is left in the same way as all other applications in the department office. The duty department employees are not required to accept this request. The processing time for an application is from three to ten days.
Beware of internet scams!
Where to go to rid the web of pests? You can draw the attention of popular search engines such as Google and Yandex to phishing sites, resources with malware or spam. Inform their staff about the criminals. This can be done using the Yandex.Webmaster or Help.Web Search service in Google. Fill out the required forms. If, based on the results of the check, it turns out that the resource is fraudulent, search engines will stop indexing it. By your actions, you will not only ruin the life of the attacker, but also protect many citizens from loss of money and nerves.
Article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for telephone fraud in 2022
Any fraudulent actions using communication means are a criminal offense and are prosecuted by the law of the Russian Federation. Practice shows that it is possible to initiate a criminal case for telephone fraud only if there are a number of circumstances:
- the amount is strictly designated by the criminal;
- SMS message/conversation with recommendations, threats and demands inducing action.
Note!
If a citizen has not complied with the demands of the fraudster, then the crime is considered unfinished and can be classified as preparation or attempted crime, which implies punishment only if there is a large amount of damage and there is evidence of a conspiracy of persons.
Telephone fraud, as a result of which a person himself transferred money to a criminal or an unauthorized debiting of funds from accounts, falls under one of the articles of the Criminal and Administrative Code of the Russian Federation:
- Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - punishment in the form of a fine and imprisonment for up to 10 years;
- Art. 7.27 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation - liability for petty theft of up to 1 thousand rubles, for which a 5-fold fine in the amount of the stolen property is provided, compulsory labor and administrative arrest.
Do you have any questions?
To get the most detailed advice on your issue, you just need to follow any of the suggested options:
- Request a consultation using the form
on our website - Or just call the number: 8 800 350-83-74
The Final Step: Domain Name Registrars and Hosting Companies
The final stage in the fight against the criminal will be to contact the domain registrar of his website and the hosting company on whose server it is located. These are the organizations you need to contact about Internet fraud if you are not afraid of difficulties. After all, you will have to make some effort to find them.
Go to the specialized resource 1whois.ru. Using the URL of the scammer's site, you will get all the necessary information there. Enter the name of the hosting company and the domain name registrar into the search engine one by one. This way you will find their websites. They usually contain a contact email. Send a complaint to her demanding that she close the attacker’s website.
All these methods are effective, and you must resort to them if you have been robbed or deceived. Don't ignore even minor online scams. You now know where to go. Take action! All culprits will be punished, and the stolen property will be returned to its rightful owner.
