TMCnet News
FBI reports online crime increase in El PasoOct 15, 2011 (El Paso Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- For an agency that made its reputation fighting corruption, terrorism and organized crime, the FBI is increasingly battling fraud, theft and swindles online. FBI agents said they have seen an increase in Internet crime cases out of El Paso as more people use computers to shop, sell goods and socialize. The FBI office in El Paso had a news conference on Friday to promote its national Internet Crime Complaint Center, a website (www.ic3.gov) where people can file complaints if they feel they have been a victim of an online crime. October is National Cyber Security Month. The most common Internet crime reported in El Paso is nondelivery of merchandise or nonpayment for items sold on the Internet, said Special Agent Michael Martinez, an FBI spokesman. Other crimes include identity theft, credit-card fraud, chain email scams and relationship fraud. FBI agents described relationship fraud as a swindle -- often using social network sites -- in which a person is asked to send money to someone under false pretenses. Agents said the cases they've seen included a person falsely claiming to need money because his or her child has cancer, and a phony online "girlfriend" asking for money to buy an airplane ticket for a visit that never takes place. Martinez said it is important that victims file complaints regardless of the amount of the money lost because the reports can help investigators build their cases. Last year, 466 complaints about Internet crime were filed in El Paso County, according to FBI statistics. The Internet Crime Complaint Center was established in 2000. Daniel Borunda may be reached at [email protected]; 546-6102. ___ (c)2011 the El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas) Visit the El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas) at www.elpasotimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |