Yesterday, the Department of Economic Crimes of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of Moscow announced the disclosure of yet another fraud with bank plastic cards. A student of one of the capital's universities, together with a friend, using fake cards, through ATMs, stole money from the accounts of Russians and foreigners.
According to Kommersant, the police found the fraudsters thanks to the vigilance of employees of the economic and internal security service of one of the largest Moscow banks. As you know, all ATMs in Moscow are equipped with hidden cameras. Looking through the recordings from these cameras, the bank guards drew attention to a young man who, nine times in a row, cashed several thousand US dollars using different cards from one ATM. The bank considered it suspicious and reported the incident to the Department of Economic Crimes.
The police found out that the money was cashed out by a student of one of the capital's universities, Anton Obyedkov, who came to Moscow from Tashkent. Covert surveillance was established behind him. It turned out that the student was clearly living on more than one scholarship. Without working anywhere, he nevertheless did not live in a hostel, but rented an apartment, regularly visited youth cafes and nightclubs, where he spent large sums. It also seemed suspicious that the student very often visited the computer markets, where he bought specific programs and components from electronic devices that could be used to make counterfeit bank cards. The police assumed that they were dealing with a carder - a person involved in fraud with bank cards. Their assumptions were confirmed. The operatives who followed Anton Obyedkov saw him withdraw a large sum of money through an ATM and detained the student. As it turned out, red-handed. In the pockets of Anton Obiedkov's clothes, investigators found 23 counterfeit debit bank cards. With their help, it was possible to steal $ 230 thousand from bank accounts.
The student did not deny it. He told the operatives how, together with his friend Konstantin Svobodin, he stole more than $ 60 thousand through ATMs. According to the suspect Obedkov, the machinations were organized by Konstantin Svobodin. A certain Ali (name changed in the interests of the investigation .- "Kommersant") from France, whom the young men met on the Internet forum where carders communicate, sent Konstantin Svobodin for a fee the data on several dozen French bank cards and PIN-codes for them. Using this information, Konstantin Svobodin allegedly made cards and taught Anton Obyedkov to withdraw money from ATMs using them. But Anton Obyedkov could not explain how the counterfeit Russian bank cards got to him. The operatives guessed this themselves, having searched the student's apartment. The police found Anton Obiedkov's notebook with data on bank cards of Russian citizens with PIN codes. In addition, micro-video cameras and parts from homemade card readers - devices that copy information from bank cards - were found in the apartment. According to the police, the students made and installed hidden cameras and such devices on several ATMs, camouflaging them under the plastic frame of the card collector. Using this technique, they collected data on bank cards, which they then used to make duplicate cards. The operatives also found an explanation for the fact that in the student's notebook some cards had one or two digits of the four-digit PIN-code indicated presumably. The militiamen believe that especially careful users of ATMs, while dialing the PIN-code, covered the keyboard with their hand, as the banks recommend, and the micro-camera was able to fix only part of it.
Yesterday Anton Obyedkov was arrested by a court decision. He was charged under Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Fraud”). Konstantin Svobodin disappeared and was put on the wanted list. Investigators of the Main Investigation Department under the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of Moscow, leading the criminal case, have already informed Interpol about the French accomplice of the swindlers.
Alexander ZHEGLOV
Many people are attracted to money. And therefore, more and more often you have to think about where to get a million. It doesn't matter, rubles or dollars. The main thing is that people are looking for either additional ways to earn money or some sources of money. A million rubles is not such a large amount for the modern world. Therefore, it is quite possible to get it. The question is - how exactly? The best tips and tricks for finding a million will be presented below. It is impossible to say for sure which options will suit a particular person. The issue of receiving a million is decided on an individual basis.
Relatives
Where can I get a million rubles, and even on a gratuitous (or interest-free) basis? The point is that you can borrow the specified amount. Or ask for a gift. It is suggested to seek help from relatives. For example, to the parents.
The method is good, only it is not suitable for everyone. Especially when it comes to money as a gift. Borrowing such large sums of money from relatives or parents is a step that entails many consequences. If relations with relatives are normal, there will be no major changes. Otherwise, relatives will begin to recall a debt or a gift in any quarrel.
A loan from loved ones is the first way out of the situation. The offer is relevant only for those who will definitely not remember help. But, as many say, contacting relatives on financial issues is more expensive. Therefore, it is better to look for other answers to the question of where to get a million.
Friends and acquaintances
The next tip is somewhat similar to the already known proposal. It is about a loan or a gift from close friends or acquaintances. As a rule, the first option is more common in practice.
On the plus side, friends are unlikely to ask for interest. Also, with friends, you can easily discuss issues related to debt repayment at any time. And even postpone it. But there are also disadvantages. First, if you do not pay off the debt, trust between people will be lost. Secondly, you won't be able to ask for help a second time, even for the smallest one.
Where can I get a million? Relatives, friends, family and acquaintances are all good. Only, as already mentioned, this does not have the best effect on people's relationships. It is worth finding methods of receiving funds that are less dangerous for the relationship between citizens.
Winnings
Where can I get a million for free? The next tip is not 100% guaranteed. But you should still take it into account. The point is that you can get rich without any debts by winning money. For example, in the lottery.
In this case, the citizen will have to give a certain percentage of his winnings to the state, and keep the rest for himself. Playing the lottery is a matter of luck. A person may or may not be lucky. Therefore, it is clearly not worth getting hung up on such a solution to the task at hand. It is enough to buy lottery tickets from time to time and hope that a million will someday be won.
Banks
Where to get a million rubles urgently? In any bank that operates in a particular city. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the fact that loans are not issued:
- children;
- To old people;
- unemployed.
Accordingly, in order for a loan for such a large amount to be approved, a citizen must initially have good earnings. Important: many banks do not lend money to those who have had problems with previous loans.
Where to get a loan (million rubles)? In Russia, the following banking organizations are often contacted:
- Sberbank;
- VTB 24;
- SKB-Bank;
- Loko Bank;
- Tinkoff;
- Raiffeisenbank.
IFIs
Where can I get a million dollars or rubles? A variety of MFIs are a good alternative to banks. They are in great demand in Russia. People usually turn to in order to get a small consumer loan quickly. But you can also come here for large sums.
As a rule, MFIs offer registration with one passport in just a few minutes. But the interest that will have to be paid along with the loan is quite high. The ultimate overpayment will be substantial. It is because of this nuance that microfinance organizations are an extreme case. Usually they are used when there are no other sources of funds.
Passive income
Where to get a million rubles for free? Loans are not always popular. And not in all cases it is required to receive 1,000,000 rubles quickly and immediately in a single amount. If a person thinks about it, then it is proposed to receive the specified money in parts over a certain period of time.
Where can I get a million? Provide yourself from which will be deferred monthly. So in some time a million rubles will be received.
The most common use of passive income is the rental of property. For example, apartments. It takes about 8.5 years to accumulate a million by renting out housing. And this is provided that it will amount to 10,000 rubles a month. Usually it is possible to get the desired amount faster.
Deposit income
Where can I get a million rubles without interest? The next method works well for those who already have a lot of money. It is proposed to put a large amount on a deposit in the bank. Every month, a citizen will be able to withdraw interest accrued on the initial amount. And so over time, a million will accumulate.
The method is good, but unreliable. Especially now, in a crisis. Firstly, if a person already has a lot of money, then he is unlikely to think about how to get 1,000,000. Secondly, now opening a deposit for large amounts is a high risk. And few people agree to it. Thirdly, you will have to wait a long time for the accumulation of the required amount.
Work
Where can I get a million rubles? The most correct way is the answer, which, unfortunately, does not fully satisfy the population. Where can I get this or that amount of money? Earn. Work is the main source of funds. It is quite possible to receive 1,000,000 rubles in Russia for a certain period of time.
For example, in Moscow you can do it in just 5 months. It is enough to earn 200,000, but not spend a single ruble of them. The offer is well suited for families in which both spouses work. Then one person's income can be spent on living, and another can be saved. The speed of achieving the goal directly depends on the salary. Therefore, in an official job, it can be very problematic to get a million in the end.
Business
You can try to open your own business. If everything works out, then 1,000,000, for example, a year is not much for your business. Getting rich with a successful business is easy.
True, not everyone can achieve certain heights. In the early stages, business is a costly affair. And there is always a risk of burnout. Therefore, you first have to weigh the pros and cons. However, as the prospect of making the first million, the business is perfect. It is simply necessary to take it into account.
By the way, even small businesses are taken into account. Sometimes this is how you manage to earn 1,000,000 pretty quickly. But, as already mentioned, this technique is not suitable for everyone. It may turn out that a person will receive only debts and expenses instead of profit.
Exchanges and luck
Where can I get a million? Another rather interesting method of making money is playing on currency exchanges. For example, on "Forex". Good for people who understand economics. It is easy to earn 1,000,000 rubles or dollars here, but you can also lose such an amount in a matter of minutes.
It is not recommended to play on currency exchanges for those who do not thoroughly know what it is. In general, a similar method of obtaining large sums of money is roulette. No one can say for sure whether it will be possible to win or not. It all depends on personal skills and luck. If it is on the player's side, there will be profit. No? Then you have to prepare for huge expenses.
Books
If a person is not thinking about where to quickly get a million, but how to make it, you can give a lot of advice. The next technique is the publication of a book. Successful writers make a lot of money from their creations. And all over the world.
The method is unreliable, it requires a huge amount of time, nerves and efforts. In addition, the publication of the book itself requires certain expenses. Therefore, this method is not suitable for quick income. Also, the likelihood of failure is high. It is difficult to become a famous writer. This means that you cannot earn a lot of money from writing books. Although, if you have time and money to spare, it's worth a try.
Network marketing
You can make a million doing network marketing. Or just online sales. This is a pretty lucrative business. But, as practice shows, first you need to invest in it.
Not everyone can become a successful network manager. You will have to be active, persistent and ingenious. If it works out, it will be possible to earn a lot, and moreover, it will be stable. And then 1,000,000 will quickly accumulate. But in case of failure, no serious consequences will come. No debt, no interest. The only thing they pay attention to is spending. If you cannot become a successful network manager, you cannot return the money invested in projects and your own development.
Sales
Where can I get a million rubles for free? If we are not talking about urgent receipt of money, then you can do sales. Save and save all the proceeds. Alternatively, you can sell your own property.
Again, as with rentals, it is best to sell apartments and houses. Then you can get more than a million rubles at once. Some apply to realtors and start reselling real estate. They take the difference for themselves.
It is not difficult to accumulate a million rubles in this way. True, it is very time consuming. But this is only when it comes to resale. In the case of a one-time real estate transaction, this amount can be received very quickly.
State
Where to get a million for business? This question often worries those who are planning to start their own business. In Russia, they try to support entrepreneurs, especially new ones. Therefore, every businessman in one way or another can apply to the state to receive subsidies for development. Certain amounts are issued to companies from the state budget annually. But, as practice shows, once. That is, an entrepreneur can receive money for the development of his business 1 time.
It is enough just to pass a competitive selection and be included in the list of applicants for a subsidy for the development of business and entrepreneurship. It is recommended to find out more accurate information on this issue from the administration of the city in which the company is registered.
Outcomes
Now it is clear where to get a million for free or with a refund. There are a lot of options. But if you think about it, the most reliable, although not always the fastest method, is the answer "make money".
Based on everything written earlier, the following options for receiving funds can be distinguished:
- gift / inheritance;
- profit from the sale / lease of property;
- earnings;
- starting a business;
- loans;
- interest on deposits in banks;
- loans (from relatives or friends).
In reality, getting a million, and even more so earning it in a certain period of time, is not so difficult. The main thing is to learn how to earn and save. If money is needed urgently, then loans and the sale of property can be considered a way out. As has been said many times, in other situations it is recommended to honestly earn the desired amount in one way or another.
According to experts, Russians now have about 200 million bank cards in their hands. And this is not surprising - more and more organizations are transferring salary payments to cards, terminals for non-cash payments appear even in small kiosks. All this is closely watched by criminals. The volume of money thefts from the accounts of plastic card holders has reached an unprecedented scale today. Therefore, Nasha Versiya has drawn up instructions on how not to lose your money.
According to the approximate data of international organizations, the damage from the theft of money from bank cards in the whole world is estimated at $ 13-15 billion per year. About 4 billion dollars of this amount goes to Russia. Today, the accounts of ordinary customers, and the accounts of legal entities in banks, and payment systems of retail chains are in danger.
50 million went to scammers
Once, the police of the city of Ivanov almost instantly received more than 200 statements about the illegal debiting of large sums of money from the accounts. In most cases, the victims were clients of one of the large banks connected to the Mobile Bank system and having gadgets on the Android OS platform. As it turned out, an SMS was received on a mobile device, offering to download a postcard for the holiday or a popular melody. When downloading, a program was simultaneously downloaded to the gadget that hacked a bank account and transferred money. In the last year alone, the number of Trojan-malware detected on the mobile devices of Russian citizens has grown nine (!) Times. In 2014, Trojan horses were detected in Russian banks 12,000 times. Today in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs there is Department "K", which has its specialists in all regions. On a regular basis, its employees find and catch cyber fraudsters. So, recently, specialists from the "K" departments of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions stopped the activities of a criminal group that was carrying out theft of funds from the accounts of clients of Russian banks. It all started when the police received information about the emergence of a new type of malicious software in the country - Trojan-Banker.AndroidOS.svpeng.a, which targets devices also running on the Android platform. The head of the criminal group that spread the virus turned out to be a 25-year-old resident of the Chelyabinsk region, who has only nine classes of education. The program used by the fraudsters, after being installed on the device, requested the balance of the bank card tied to the number, hid incoming notifications and began to transfer funds from the bank account to accounts controlled by the cybercriminals. In total, in this way they stole over 50 million rubles.
ON A NOTEWhat if you get robbed?
1. Immediately inform the security service of the bank that serves you, and write a statement.
2. Fill in and send a statement about the incident to the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs https://mvd.ru. An application submitted in this way will be registered and must be answered. Get a registration number and track the actions of specialists. If all victims inform the police about the fact of theft, it will greatly facilitate the work of catching the criminals.
Mobile Banking can make your money unnecessarily mobile
It should be admitted that in this case, as in many others, the victims of the scam themselves gave access to their accounts, following the lead of the scammers. There are many such methods of deception using a mobile phone in the arsenal of criminals. One of the most popular is sending an SMS to random people in a wide fan, as if on behalf of a bank, with a warning about canceling the account and a request to call the specified phone number. Then, in the course of a telephone conversation, the scammers say that, perhaps, an error occurred and the money from the account did not go anywhere. And in order to check this, the victim needs to go to any ATM, name its number, insert a card into the receiver and enter a pin code. After that, the attackers gain access to the client's account and transfer money to the accounts accountable to them. No less dangerous is the “Mobile Bank” service, which many banks are actively offering to their customers today. The main thing to remember: if you lose your phone or change your SIM card, be sure to turn off the Mobile Banking service. After all, after the number has not been used for three months, the telecom operator can re-sell it. And if the new owner of your old mobile number (or phone) comes to mind to withdraw your money from the incoming notifications, it will not be difficult to do so.
Fake ATM
Often, criminals use ATMs as a weapon. One of the most common methods is to overlay a fake keyboard with a memory block on the ATM keyboard, allowing you to find out the PIN code. Either a video camera is installed on the ATM by intruders, fixing the set of the pin code, and sometimes it is even openly attached to the wall, pretending that the device is installed by the bank. In this case, the camera is mounted in a pair with the device through which the card passes when it is inserted into the terminal. This device reads the data of the magnetic stripe of the card and transmits the information over a short distance. If you see suspicious people or a car near the terminal, it is possible that the signal receiver is located there. Together, these devices allow you to make a duplicate of a bank card and withdraw money. It should also be borne in mind that often in bank branches the doors of the premises where the ATM is located are opened with a card, and this makes it possible for criminals to install their devices at the place of installation of the unit for reading the magnetic stripe data to open the door. So be careful. However, there are also simpler ways. For example, if the ATM is installed in a poorly lit place, scammers can simply cover the slot for dispensing money with transparent film. As a result, the cardholder believes that the ATM did not work and leaves, and the fraudsters retrieve the money left in the ATM. But nevertheless, the most original way of those recorded to date, perhaps, is the installation of fake ATMs of non-existent banks, which, when cards are introduced, read their data and transfer them to crooks, of course, without giving out money.
MEANWHILE
In 2015, Kaspersky Lab announced a major cyber fraud involving hackers from Russia, China and Europe. From the accounts of clients of more than 100 banks in 30 countries around the world, $ 300 million was stolen (identified amount). Using bogus accounts, hackers took over
millions of dollars of clients of banks in Russia, Japan, Switzerland, USA, Netherlands, etc. Attackers from the Carbanak group (as they called themselves) managed to inject the eponymous malware into the computers of bank employees who processed data on daily transfers and kept accounting records. Thanks to the program, hackers could track all actions of bank employees, right down to keystrokes. The money was withdrawn through
ATMs or transferred to dummy accounts. It is worth noting that not a single bank out of 100 admitted to cases of theft of money from accounts, fearing an outflow of clients (it is assumed that the real amount of the stolen was close to $ 1 billion).
When filling out documents for your bank, indicate only the last four digits of the account.
If you inserted a card into a card reader and the ATM refuses to give it to you, you must immediately block your "plastic" through a bank or by phone.
When paying with a card somewhere in a cafe, always look at the contents of the receipt. If you find an error, be sure to tear the first check and ask to delete the old account with the provision of a new one, otherwise the payment amount may be deducted from the bank account twice.
Use only a chip card. She's more secure. Counterfeiting a chip card is more difficult and more expensive than an unchipped counterfeit.
If you received an SMS message stating that your card is blocked, and you were asked to call an unknown phone number, you should not call it. It is better to contact the nearest bank office for clarification.
Withdraw money from verified ATMs under video surveillance.
The Internet is increasingly becoming a stage for detective stories with its greedy villains, brave "robingodes", pursuits, puzzles and a completely predictable ending. In this article, we have collected 5 interesting scenarios of cybercrimes and offline punishments that followed.
1
Albert Gonzalez can be considered the hacker of the century. The first high-profile case in his criminal career was the Shadowcrew resource, which he created with a team of like-minded people. In this community, carders shared information about stolen credit cards, information about their owners, and also arranged auctions. About 4,000 people were active on the "carders exchange", and soon the FBI became interested in it. To avoid jail, Gonzalez had to cooperate with the authorities - from 2003 to 2004, he provided data on Shadowcrew, which led to massive arrests of its members and the closure of the community. For the information provided, Gonzalez even received money from the FBI - $ 75 thousand a year, but secretly he himself continued to engage in scams. He organized a new criminal scheme: using a sniffer program that intercepts and analyzes the traffic of wi-fi networks of companies, he got access to classified data. For example, after driving a car for six months around the offices of the TJX Companies corporation and properly working with their network, he stole more than 40 million bank card numbers and data on their owners for subsequent resale.
Top 5 countries with the highest cyber crime rates
USA 23%
China 9%
Germany 6%
England 5%
Brazil 4%
Already in May 2008 Gonzalez and 10 of his "colleagues" were arrested during a special operation by the FBI. It was later revealed that Gonzalez was involved in organizing the Heartland Payment System hack (the 5th largest payment system in the United States and 9th in the world), the ATM system of the 7-Eleven retailer and the Hannaford Bros. In total, Gonzalez participated in the theft and resale of data on 170 million cards for all the time, thanks to which he lived in grand style, spending money on cars, apartments in Miami, expensive watches and parties. A search of his home found half a million in cash and another $ 1 million was buried in his parents' yard.
Gonzalez is currently is serving a 20-year sentence in a federal correctional facility in Michigan. He is scheduled to be released in 2025.
2
December 21, 2012 Americans Elvis Rafael Rodriguez and Emir Yasir Yehe, along with an international group of cybercriminals, committed one of the largest crimes in history. They hacked into Indian and American databases of prepaid debit bank cards Mastercard and Visa. Then the cybercriminals canceled the restrictions on cash withdrawals on the accounts and, using the changed PIN codes, they removed $ 5 million from ATMs in 26 countries of the world (including Russia). Two months later, the criminals repeated the operation, withdrawing $ 40 million from ATMs. Fraudsters forged cards and entered the data of clients of banks in the United Arab Emirates and Oman on them, since Middle Eastern banks often allow their clients to keep large amounts on debit cards, and their movements are not very strict.
the criminal team helped at least 100 people in different countries who have made 36 thousand withdrawals. On May 9, 8 people were arrested in New York on suspicion of involvement in this crime.
After the theft some (obviously not the wisest) criminals were photographed with wads of stolen cash, newly acquired Rolex watches and expensive cars.
It is reported that the organizers, developed a complex scheme, and the hackers who were directly involved in breaking into the banking system were outside the United States and received the lion's share of the funds. Those who cashed money earned no more than 20% of the total catch.
John Draper his friends from Apple
70th: John Draper, aka Cap'n Crunch, found out that a toy whistle from a box of cornflakes sounds on the same frequency as the telephone access signal. He called an intercity number and, while dialing, blew his whistle. This signal told the system that Draper had hung up. Thus, the line was considered free, and all further actions were not recorded by the telephone system. Following these experiments, Draper, together with his friends Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, created the Blue Box device, which allows you to simulate the sounds of the telephone network and make free calls around the world.
3
Vladimir Levin is an iconic figure in the field of information security. He owes this status, among other things, to his criminal activities. In 1994, Levin penetrated the internal network of the American bank Citibank, hacking into the bank's analog dial-up connection and gaining access to several accounts belonging to corporate clients.
He, along with a group of assistants managed to scatter about $ 10 million to accounts in the USA, Finland, Germany, Israel and the Netherlands, but the accomplices were arrested, and in March 1995 Levin himself was caught at the London airport. The hacker managed to cash out only 400 thousand dollars, the bank was able to return the rest of the stolen money back.
Under American law Levin faced up to 60 years in prison, but the prosecution and the defense concluded a "pre-trial agreement", and he was assigned only 36 months in prison and a $ 250,000 fine.
Cybercriminals cost the 24 largest countries about $ 388 billion... Suffering from their actions 431 million people.
4
In November 2011, the FBI announced about exposing the largest cybercrime in history. An unprecedented investigation, carried out jointly by international law enforcement agencies and private enterprises, identified seven Estonians and a Russian citizen who organized a giant computer botnet network.
The first hacker in history
The first hacker can be considered the magician Neville Maskelyn, who in 1903, by order of the Eastern Telegraph Company, spoiled the presentation of wireless data transmission by John Fleming and Guglielmo Marconi, showing publicly that the transmission could be interfered with. The projection lamp in the theater where the event took place, in Morse code, conveyed the message "Nonsense" and rhymes that "one Italian scoundrel planned to deceive everyone."
5
Another criminal scheme invented in the post-Soviet space in the mid-2000s - the system of "money mules". First, the fraudulent groups use Trojan horses such as Zeus and URLZone, as well as keyloggers (programs that register keystrokes on a computer), with which they break into the computer systems of small businesses that use online banking. Credentials are stolen, and accounts are naturally emptied by money mules. These are unsuspecting people who are hired for supposedly legal jobs; in fact, they act as financial intermediaries, and their bank accounts are used to transfer money from the accounts of the victims to the accounts of the attackers.
According to this scheme a gang of Ukrainians Yevhen Kulibaba and Yuri Konovalenko from October 2009 to September 2010 stole $ 30 million worldwide, including £ 6 million from UK financial institutions. They organized an agent network to withdraw stolen funds from Britain to Eastern Europe. Kulibaba organized the spread of viruses from the territory of Ukraine and cleaned out accounts, while Konovalenko directed the actions of the mules. The leaders of the gang were sentenced to 4 years and 8 months, and many rank-and-file members also went to jail.
Last year, 44% of Internet users over the age of 18 experienced online scams.
To steal money from someone else's account, you will have to infect the victim's computer with a virus, through which you can establish remote access.
Once you wait for an unsuspecting user to log into your bank account, you can discreetly transfer money to your fake account in the Cayman Islands.
An easier way is to send the victim a fake letter on behalf of his bank asking him to log into the account and change some information.
When the user enters his logins, passwords, card number, pin codes and other data there, his money is almost in your pocket.
In order to cash out money from a mobile phone, you will have to hire a dropper - a figurehead who has a mobile phone number. He needs to be persuaded to go to the office of a mobile operator with an application for receiving money from a mobile account.
Cover image: Surian Soosay / flickr.com
How to steal a million - fraudulent methods
According to the National Consumers League, the following types of fraud were most frequently used in the United States in 2002:
Stealing credit card information
Fraudsters who have received information about the personal data of the owner of a credit card can pay with it in online stores, take out bank loans, rent a house, claim benefits, etc.
Online shops and auctions
Scheme: a customer pays money for a purchase in an online store, but either does not receive it, or receives a product in less quantity or worse quality. The most popular type of scam on the Internet. According to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center, such crimes in 2002 accounted for 27% of the number of recorded crimes on the World Wide Web.
Investments
The company offers to buy its shares or make a private investment, promising significant returns. Usually, to attract victims, scammers operate with fake statistics and deliberately report false information about the history or owners of the company.
Donation collection
Collecting donations is widespread in the United States. 90% of Americans donate more or less to various charitable causes. This is used by crooks. They just set up a fake charity that specializes in some good cause and they collect donations quite openly. The only difference from ordinary charitable foundations is that the money is pocketed by crooks.
Credit history recovery
Almost every resident of the United States and every company has its own credit history - the chronicle of obtaining and repaying loans. In the United States, there are several independent credit bureaus that track the credit history of Americans, exchange information and act completely independently of both each other and from third-party firms and organizations. It is impossible to influence their actions. Many Americans find themselves unable to bear the credit burden and their credit history deteriorates, making it impossible to buy a house, car, etc., since banks do not want to contact an unreliable borrower. The crooks offer to "improve" the credit history for a modest fee - naturally, these promises are not fulfilled, since they cannot be fulfilled in principle.
Debt repayment
Unpaid loans and unpaid bills are considered personal debt of the US resident. Quite often, a person is unable to pay all their bills. This is used by crooks: they offer the following scheme: their company independently pays the bills of a US resident and seeks serious discounts from creditors, and the victim compensates for the company's costs. In reality, crooks only receive money from their victims.
Job offer
The crooks offer lucrative work from home. However, the victim has to pay extortionate prices for the supplied consumables, make a guarantee or entrance fee, or work part of the time for free, as a trial period.
Insurance
The "insurance" company offers record low rates for its services. In reality, either this company exists only on paper, or it lays down such conditions in the contract with the client that make it impossible to receive insurance compensation.
Concessional loans
Individuals are often offered soft loans. However, in order to obtain such a loan, the crooks require some kind of entry fee (for example, to get a loan of $ 100, the victim pays $ 150) or extortionate interest is pledged into the contract.
"Nigerian Letters"
The recipient of the letter is invited to participate in the transfer from a Nigerian (Ghanaian, Libyan, Congolese, Mozambican, etc.) bank to a US bank of several million dollars belonging to the heirs of African presidents, ministers, dictators, kings, etc. For their help, the recipient should receive a quarter or a third of the transferred amount. However, to demonstrate the purity of intentions, the victim is asked to transfer several thousand dollars to the swindlers' account. Back in 2001, 15.5% of victims of online fraudsters believed in "Nigerian letters", in 2002 the number of victims dropped sharply - to 1%.
Financial "pyramids"
This scheme is widely known and was first used several hundred years ago. However, until now, financial "pyramids" attract victims. The last of the "pyramids" that collapsed in the United States attracted funds from 7 thousand people, each of whom lost about $ 3 thousand.
Tax
Sometimes, US residents do not have time to file their tax return. Fraudsters suggest falsifying the data on the time of delivery of the declaration to the tax authorities and, thus, avoiding trouble.
Telephone communications
The victim is invited to call a phone number, where a minute of conversation costs a lot of money. Small phone companies also use fraudulent practices to bill their customers for services (such as voicemail) that the customer did not order.
Tourism
Crooks or unscrupulous businessmen sell tours or hotel tickets to their victims, the real conditions in which are significantly inferior to advertising. For example, instead of a five-star hotel, the victim of the crooks ends up in a three-star hotel.
A revolutionary weight loss method
The ad promises weight loss in days or weeks with a new miracle cure or diet. At best, the victim will become the owner of a useless product, at worst, health will be at risk.
