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Top 10 Internet Fraud Complaints, 2007
What are the most common fraud complaints for Internet? Fake check scams top the list, while general merchandise sales are a close second. Protect yourself from becoming a victim to one of these scams by reading our guides on the "Dirty Dozen" Email Scams and the biggest "Dot Cons," or general Internet Scams. If you suspect you're a victim of an Internet fraud, visit the National Fraud Information Center.
| Complaint
|
% of
all complaints
|
Average Loss
|
| Fake Check Scams
|
29%
|
$3,310.87
|
| General merchandise
|
23
|
1,136.84
|
| Auctions1
|
13
|
1,371.08
|
| Nigerian Money Offers
|
11
|
4,043.14
|
| Lotteries/Lottery Clubs
|
7
|
998.43
|
| Advance Fee Loans
|
3
|
1,310.77
|
| Prizes/Sweepstakes
|
3
|
1,181.58
|
| Phishing2
|
3
|
220.47
|
| Friendship & Sweetheart Swindles
|
1
|
3,038.31
|
| Internet Access Services
|
1
|
896.99
|
1. In the fall of 2003, online giant eBay removed the link from its Web site to fraud.org. As a result, the number of auction complaints reported to NCL's fraud center has dropped to a fraction of its previous levels.
2. Pretending to be a legitimate company to trick people into providing private information for use in identity theft.
Source: National Fraud Information Center/Internet Fraud Watch. Web: www.fraud.org.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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