Fraud on the Internet: where to go if scammers have deceived you and how to write a statement

With the development of computer technology, citizens of our country are faced with the concept of online theft. Its danger should not be underestimated, since cybercriminals may gain access to confidential personal information, including banking data, which leads to serious troubles, both financially and morally. Let's figure out where to go if you've been scammed by scammers on the Internet, what actions you need to take in case of fraud, and whether there are ways to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Scheme

Today it is difficult to find a person who has not encountered one of the deception mechanisms described below. We have compiled a rating of frauds with which deceived citizens most often come to law enforcement agencies and other structures to restore justice. And after getting acquainted with the most popular schemes, we will consider where to go about fraud on the Internet in Moscow and the Russian Federation as a whole.

• "Nigerian Letters". The name of this method comes from the country from which the first messages began to arrive to our compatriots. When the trend first appeared, a huge number of recipients believed in the content and fulfilled all the necessary conditions. Today it is difficult to deceive our man, who has experienced a lot. But in fact, the number of victims is not decreasing. The point here is that the user receives good news: he has become the heir to a fortune or hit a huge jackpot in the lottery. Now you need to start preparing the necessary documentation and transfer a certain amount.
• Creation and placement of a false anchor on specialized dating sites. As a rule, such profiles belong to simply ideal people who earn good money, look great, do charity work and consider development and self-improvement their main hobby. And such an ideal candidate for the status of a second half in every sense draws attention to the victim, who is statistically average and quite ordinary. During the conversation, the attacker gains confidence and says that he really wants to meet, but he is only in another city and is now experiencing minor financial difficulties; he had to invest all his savings in a new project. The victim, who wants to meet his ideals as quickly as possible, is ready to buy a ticket and send some money for related expenses. The reasons may be very different, but the meaning is the same - to extract as much as possible from a hopelessly in love.
• Phishing. This is a special Internet fraud service that involves stealing finances from bank accounts and cards. The card owner receives a message that it is blocked and to restore solvency, you must follow the specified link. By clicking on it, the user gets to a replica of the bank’s website or the serviced payment system. Next, you are asked to enter a login metric. As a result, attackers gain access to personal data and can transfer existing funds wherever they wish.
• Hacking accounts on social networks. After this, there are two options: threatening the owner with a demand to pay the desired amount or sending messages to all friends and subscribers asking for a loan.
• Blocking your computer by sending virus files. After this, the user receives a letter requesting the transfer of a certain amount to remove the block.
• Poor quality service in online stores. Today there are a large number of platforms whose main purpose is to receive client funds. After payment, the buyer does not see the product at all or receives it in extremely poor performance. And when a consumer wants to submit a claim or complaint, their messages are ignored.
• Training and courses on how to make quick money. Unfortunately, very often one can observe a situation where a person first asks where to make money in the shortest possible time, and then wonders where and how to write and submit a report against scammers about online fraud. For an answer to the first question, he turns to online financial gurus, who, for a nominal sum, promise to provide an effective and efficient way to obtain wealth. But as a result, these are either deceptive ways or extremely vague information without specifics.
• Deception on specialized sites (Avito, Yula). Of course, on such resources you can find a huge number of reliable and useful advertisements. However, in addition to this, there is a lot of garbage on such resources in the form of super-profitable offers. As a rule, after receiving the message, the victim is asked to pay a deposit or the full amount for the product, otherwise others will quickly take it, since the item is very good for its low cost. After receiving payment, the buyer receives nothing.
• Charity fraud. This does not mean that absolutely all collections for treatment and other good purposes are the machinations of criminals. However, such cases are not uncommon. Therefore, before sending, be sure to check who you are sending money to.
• Financial pyramids. Although the memories of the past experiences of our compatriots have not yet cooled down, such organizations are still popular and in high demand.
• Via SMS messages. This method is close to telephone fraud. When registering on any sites or resources, you are asked to indicate a mobile phone number and send a certain combination in the form of an SMS to complete the action. After sending such a message from a mobile phone, funds are debited that are several times higher than the cost of an outgoing SMS. In addition, you can subscribe to automatically withdraw money from your account at a certain frequency.

How to protect yourself from scammers?

In order not to fall for the tricks of scammers, you need to think sensibly, soberly assess the situation and follow the safety rules:

• Do not tell anyone the expiration date of your bank card, the code on the back side CVV2/CVC2. To make a deposit, the buyer only needs to know the card number and the name of its owner.
• If you receive a message that your card has been blocked or you have received information that fraudsters are trying to withdraw money from it, immediately call the bank number on the back of the card and follow the instructions of a bank employee.
• Never tell anyone, including a bank employee, the secret codes from one-time SMS messages.
• Do not respond to dubious SMS from unknown numbers. Question messages from strangers, do not open suspicious files unless you know who sent them. Very often, by clicking on the links in the message, you can download the virus to your phone or sign up for a paid subscription.
• If you receive a request to transfer money from your friend or relative on a social network, contact him directly through other means of communication and find out if he needs help.
• When purchasing air tickets online, use the services of a trusted agency or buy them on the airline’s website. Never use the services of unverified and unknown ticket sales sites.
• Don't trust too tempting offers in advertisements. Fraudsters often attract the attention of gullible buyers with a low price that differs significantly from other similar offers and require an advance payment in order to secure the product for the buyer. But often this is an ordinary scam.
• When ordering on Avito, choose safe Avito delivery or regular delivery with cash on delivery. Before you buy a product from an ad, check it carefully when you meet it. Take your time, even if the seller insists on it.
• If you are planning to buy a car or an apartment, carefully study the documents for the property (we recommend using the service of legal support of the transaction or ordering an examination (legal review) of the documents of the seller/buyer).
• If you pay a deposit, write a receipt. If possible, check the information about a potential purchase.
• When purchasing expensive items, choose a quiet, crowded place that you know well for the meeting.
• Be wary of the buyer if he doesn’t ask or clarify anything about the product, agrees to buy right away and even offers an advance payment, although you didn’t even ask for it. Perhaps this is a hoax.

Internet scammers are constantly looking for new ways to deceive.

Protect your elderly relatives and teenagers from scammers by explaining to them these simple rules. In order not to spoil the joy of online shopping with low-quality goods or loss of money, take precautions, be attentive and remain vigilant.

In case of large-scale fraud, it is better to involve a lawyer in defense.

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Where to complain about scammers on the Internet and report fraud

So you have become a victim. Surely you will want to know who to contact and file a complaint in order to achieve justice and return your honestly earned money. The answer in this case depends on the specifics of the specific situation. If you take this seriously, the chances of getting your money back and punishing the perpetrators are very high. Let's list the main structures that can help.

Police

When a crime is discovered, the first thing you need to do is draw up a statement and submit it to the nearest department. After this, the compiled document will be registered and transferred to the investigator for further consideration and proceedings. After analyzing the situation, the specialist decides whether a criminal case will be initiated or not. Please note that the victim must indicate his identity and provide passport information. Anonymous statements are not grounds for opening a case.

Judicial authorities

If significant damage has been caused on a large and large scale, the victim may not figure out where to report fraud on the Internet, but immediately go to civil court. After the end of the proceedings, the perpetrators will be punished and will be required to pay not only the amount of damage caused, but also cover expenses and make full compensation.

Prosecutor's office

This is an alternative option where you can send your complaint. If the police refused, this is the next step.

Department K

A specialized structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which focuses on actions classified as illegal and carried out via the Internet. This department also deals with copyright protection. The category of cases also includes the use of a photo without the consent and warning of its owner.

Department for Combating Economic Crimes

The specialization of this department is resolving controversial issues and resolving situations in the field of economics. The most striking example of activities that fall within the competence of the Economic Crimes Department is illegal trade and deception in this area. In this regard, fraudulent actions by an online store can be investigated and punished precisely in this structure.

Roskomnadzor

The organization's specialization is the consideration of cases of violations of the processing or use of personal information. It also regularly checks all operating sites in order to identify illegally operating or malicious resources and their subsequent blocking.

Virtual payment system support service

Where to contact in case of fraud on the Internet, if funds were stolen from a personal e-wallet account? In this situation, you must send a request to the official website or support service. Services can block the transfer if it has not yet gone through or return the funds. The second option is more complex in terms of implementation and is less common.

Bank hotline

If you discover that criminals have stolen money from a bank card, you need to block it urgently. This will block access to all accounts.

How to submit an application on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website?

You can submit an application by electronic message on the website on the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia or on the regional website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

You can submit a fraud report through the website using the following algorithm:

• Go to the main page of the official website of the territorial department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
• On the right, find and click “Receive requests”.
• Read the information presented on the page, after reading it, check the “I have read the information” checkbox and click “Submit an appeal.”
• In the application reception service, carefully fill out all the fields.
• In the “Text of appeal” paragraph, accurately and in detail describe the current situation, indicating all the persons involved who are related to the crime.
• Attach all the necessary files that will help in the matter.
• Send a request.

After submitting an application on the portal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you will receive a code to check the status of the application, and when the application is registered, you will be sent a corresponding notification to the email address you specified in the application.

All applications received through the portal are printed on paper, and further work with them is carried out in the prescribed manner: as with regular applications.

Applications are reviewed within 3 working days, after which a decision is made to initiate criminal proceedings. You will receive written notification. In extremely rare cases, if it is necessary to collect additional information, consideration of the application may be extended to 30 working days.

You may also be interested in: How do scammers steal money from social media users?

Where and to whom to report online scammers and in-store fraud

The first step in this case is to send a letter of claim to the administration of the trade entity. If within a week the buyer does not receive a response to his complaint, he must contact Rospotrebnadzor or the prosecutor’s office to assert and protect his consumer rights. If you purchased a product on a platform that brings together different sellers, you must send a request to the resource's technical support service to detect and identify the IP address of the fraudulent seller.

You can send a claim electronically to the specified address or by post. The text must contain a detailed description of the reasons and existing defects of the goods, and the rationale for filing a complaint. It is also necessary to formulate and provide a description of the demands put forward: replacement, refund, and so on.

Thus, if you do not know where to write about fraud in an online store, first contact its administration. If this does not give the desired result, move on to more decisive actions. You need to write a statement to the law enforcement agencies mentioned earlier.

How to make a police report

So, we looked at where to go to file a complaint about Internet scammers and fraud. Now let's figure out what to do with the document. Mandatory text points are: full name of the chief and full name of the police department, passport details of the applicant, description of the problem and the essence of the complaint, date and signature.

To speed up the process and increase the efficiency of employees, it is recommended to indicate the following: the name and email address of the attackers’ website, correspondence (if any), numbers of bank cards and wallets of the offenders (if you sent funds to them), mobile and mail addresses.

How to write a complaint to the tax office

There is no legally prescribed form developed, so you can write an appeal in free form. But you need to adhere to an official business style of speech, not use colloquial expressions, and avoid excessive emotionality.

What information should be included in a complaint to the Federal Tax Service:

1. Addressee's name. Here you need to indicate the full name and address of the Federal Tax Service where the complaint is being sent.
2. Who is this complaint from? For an individual, indicate full name, place of residence, telephone number. The individual entrepreneur adds OGRNIP to this information. The legal entity must write the name of the organization, its details, and the full name of the person applying on behalf of the company.
3. Name of the document (complaint, appeal).
4. The essence of the appeal. They talk about the fact of violation of tax legislation: who and how conducts illegal business activities, what articles of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation he violates.
5. Request. As a rule, here they are asked to take the necessary measures.
6. How does the applicant prefer to receive the result of the complaint consideration and verification (in person, by mail, by e-mail).
7. Attachments to the appeal. If there is any documentary evidence of illegal business activity, then these papers are attached to the complaint, and their name and number of sheets are indicated in the attachment.

The complaint must be signed and dated.

Important! The department has the right not to consider anonymous requests. The Federal Tax Service only accepts applications that contain personal data.

How to file a claim in court

If you have tried the methods described above, but they did not give the desired result, and you no longer know who to complain to about Internet scammers, contact the judicial authorities. The statement of claim must include the following items:

• Full name of the court.
• Passport and contact details of the applicant.
• Data of the defendant (this may be information about an individual or an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs for legal entities).
• Price.
• Link to Article 333 of the Tax Code for exemption from payment of state duty.
• A complete description of the committed fact of deception.
• Claims for recovery of damages incurred.
• List of documents and evidence that are attached to the case.
• Signature and date.

What is fraud?

“Fraud is the theft of someone else’s property or the acquisition of rights to someone else’s property by deception or abuse of trust” (Part 1 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)

There are a large number of such scammers on Avito. It is worth remembering that the buyer and seller agree on a transaction directly, at their own peril and risk, and the Avito company does not take any part in the transaction and, accordingly, does not bear any responsibility.

By the way, we have a detailed article about liability under Art. 159-159.6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Read the article.

How banks protect customer cards and accounts

The question: “what to do with Internet scammers” is asked not only by their victims, but also by government agencies. According to current legislation, banking organizations are required to monitor all transactions performed with cards and accounts in order to prevent the commission of suspicious fraudulent activities. If this is detected, the account is blocked. This security system is a means of protecting against malicious attacks, although in some cases these protective measures interfere with customers when they want to make large payments or make an unusual purchase. However, if you evaluate the pros and cons of the mechanisms, the benefits are obvious.