Internet fraud

13 Stories

Woman Drops $500K in ChristianMingle Scam

Man behind the computer wasn't the hunky UK citizen he appeared to be

(Newser) - This dating scam didn't just break hearts, it broke the bank, too: A San Jose woman, 66, was conned out of $500,000 on ChristianMingle.com after a Nigerian man, pretending to be UK citizen "David Holmes," befriended her on the site. After several phone calls, texts,...

Spain Busts 25 in Sex Slave Ring: Police

5 victims freed in operation

(Newser) - Spanish police say they've busted a gang of 25 Nigerians who were engaged in human trafficking, Internet fraud, and money laundering. Five women victims of sex slavery were released during the crackdown on the underground operation in Spain, the police say. The gang was using Spain as a springboard...

Feds Grab 150 Websites in Counterfeit Case

Online sellers 'lured in holiday shoppers': official

(Newser) - Buyers of online counterfeit goods may find their favorite websites are under federal lock-down, NPR reports. Authorities have impounded the domain names of 150 websites suspected of selling pirated or counterfeit items, they said today. That includes sellers of DVD sets, golf equipment, and professional sports jerseys. "For most,...

Feds Go After '1 Tip' Diet Ads

US sues creators of inescapable online ads

(Newser) - You’re probably sick of them by now: those ads that promise “1 Tip for a Tiny Belly” next to a drawing of a shrinking stomach. Don’t believe it, the government says: In different lawsuits, federal officials are pursuing those behind the ads, calling them a giant fraud,...

Phony Ad Clicks at Record High
 Phony Ad Clicks at Record High 
Jan 28, 2009 4:07 PM CST

Phony Ad Clicks at Record High

Click fraud rate climbs to 17.1% in fourth quarter of 2008

(Newser) - Fraudulent attempts to deceive web advertisers into paying for phony clicks reached an all-time high in the last quarter of 2008, CNET reports. The rate of phony to genuine clicks climbed to 17.1% in the fourth quarter, increasing 1.1% from the third quarter and 0.5% from the...

MySpace Suicide Case Goes to Jury

Missouri mom accused of bullying neighborhood teen with fake persona

(Newser) - Lori Drew’s fate is in the hands of a California jury as the case of the “MySpace bully” goes into deliberations, Wired reports. After forceful closing arguments yesterday, the jury will decide whether the mother committed computer fraud by creating a false online identity used to bully a...

Court Pokes Facebook Spammer for $873M

Cybercriminal accused of hijacking user profiles to send out millions of messages

(Newser) - Facebook has won an $873 million judgment against a man accused of hijacking user profiles to spew spam, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The award—the biggest ever under federal spamming laws—was made against a Canadian citizen who Facebook accused of stealing login details to send more than 4...

Nigerian Scamsters Want to Be Your Friend

Con artists try to fool Facebook users by posing as friends in need

(Newser) - Nigeria's notorious cybercriminals are looking for some buddies, Ars Technica reports. The conmen have infiltrated social networking sites like Facebook by filching passwords and contacting users in the guise of a friend who suddenly, urgently needs funds. Internet security experts fear the new tactic could prove a lot more effective...

Tech Tips You Should Know, But Don't
Tech Tips You
Should Know, But Don't
OPINION
Oct 2, 2008 6:55 PM CDT

Tech Tips You Should Know, But Don't

'Common knowledge isn't the same as universal knowledge,' Pogue writes

(Newser) - What people don’t know about basic computer tricks is pretty shocking, David Pogue found while gathering info for his New York Times column. After a call for tips from readers, all involved “soon discovered that what’s common knowledge isn’t the same as universal knowledge.” Here...

Surfers Beware: Danger Could Lurk at .hk, .cn

Those domains most likely to house ill intent, security study finds

(Newser) - A study by antivirus software firm McAfee warns Web surfers to be cautious of sites on certain domains, the AP reports, with corner-cutting registration companies often skipping security precautions. The domains .hk, .cn and .info were found to be riskiest.

Teen Pleads Guilty in Botnet Adware Scheme

Used IRCBots to profit off of online advertising contracts

(Newser) - A teenager referred to by the FBI as BDH and known online as “Sobe” pleaded guilty to two counts of juvenile fraud conspiracy for a scheme that used botnets to install adware on hundreds of thousands of American computers, including some military systems. He will be sentenced May 5,...

Feds Indict 'Spam King'
Feds Indict 'Spam King'
Jan 4, 2008 1:50 PM CST

Feds Indict 'Spam King'

Michigan man, 10 others face dozens of charges in stock fraud scheme

(Newser) - A federal grand jury has indicted a Michigan man and 10 others for spamming and stock fraud, Reuters reports. Alan Ralsky and his associates face 41 counts related to using spam to promote little-traded Chinese stocks, artificially driving up prices, and then making a killing by selling the stock. Ralsky...

EBay Fights Web Fraud Gangs in Romania

Inside the war against online auction fraud

(Newser) - Internet giant eBay is battling online auction fraud—and the center of the struggle is a Romanian town in the Carpathian mountains. A top eBay investigator, who has US Secret Service protection, forages police files in the region to combat scams. Internet auction fraud is the specialty of Romanian crime...

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