Internet Fraud

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August 1991 was the day when people finally had public access to the internet. However, the internet gradually become populated with advertisements which stated things like, “you’ve won the lottery, click here to claim your reward!."” It was these very messages that began what we call internet fraud. What is internet fraud? Internet fraud is, simply put, saying one thing and doing another. It is the act of robbery on a whole new platform (check spelling). I.e. it is the process of lying and stealing through the use of “advirtisements” that, one, lie to users and state an “irrisistable offer” and two, have internet users fill out some kind of form for any “registration fees” that may apply. In the beginning of the internet society, very few “advirtisements” wanted money, but today there are all kinds of fraudulent scams that try as hard as they can to get your attention. Among these scams are some of the most rich and easiest to fall for.

One of the most popular scams is the Nigerian scam. This scam is very in depth, but very effective. The Nigerian scam targets the elderly who live in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and other eastern states in the United States. The way the scam works is by targeting random homes in the previously mentioned states, and calling their home phones to, well, talk about random things and develop a relationship with that person. Once the scammers have their target’s attention, they begin asking for money and making up excuses for getting that money. The reason why the scammers target the elderly is because of their availability (they are always willing to talk to someone), their location (usually scammers will target those who live in remote areas), and their willingness to give up som...

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...omehow manage to rise again as more and more people were still being brought into this world. Will scams finally stop? When will the government choose to stop thsese scams? Unfortunately, there is no way to answer these questions, but, as long as people do their homework, scams will fall short of earning something as little as a penny.

Works Cited

Moira, Allen. "Too Good To Be True." The Writer. N.p., Dec. 2002. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.

Malisow, Craig. "Money for Nothing." Houston Press [Houston, Texas] 20 Apr. 2006: n. pag. Alt-PressWatch. Web. 2 Dec. 2013. .

Anonymous. "International 'Net Fraud Effort." Privacy Journal (2006): Six. Alt-PressWatch. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. .

Calhoun, Patricia. "The Nigerian Scam Strikes Again." Westword [Denver, Colorado]. N.p., 31 May 2007. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. .

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