How to Report Online Fraud and Scams?

Internet or online frauds are getting increased day by day, so from Temok, we tell you what someone can do with your IP address and How to prevent it. But unfortunately, you are facing an online fraud or scam, so in this guide, you will get complete step-by-step details on how to report your internet fraud.

How to avoid Scams?

Here are few tips to avoid fraud:

1. If an acquaintance asks you for money through a platform such as WhatsApp or Facebook, call them to verify that their account has not been hacked. This guide is for all social media platforms, so be careful.
2. Do not click on any email or open the attachments until you verify that the sender’s domain is real. Example: billing @ Temok.com (true), billing @ Temok.dominioonline.com (false)
3. Before buying from an online store, check that the URL is secure (HTTPS) and a valid SSL certificate has been installed, check their social networks to see if it is active, the comments of other buyers, and even write to them to stay calm.
4. Keep all your devices and software up to date.
5. Make sure you’re visiting the company’s real web.
6. Be very careful when signing up for offers that promise future discounts when making a payment; they usually have a tiny print that indicates that they will make periodic charges.
7. Save the emails/invoices that come to you and take screenshots of the websites you pay for the first time.
8. Notify your contacts if you suspect your account has been hacked.
9. Change passwords that may have been compromised.

What can we do before Reporting?

Make sure you have been scammed first:

1. If a package does not arrive, contact the supplier in case there has been a delay
2. Faced with a strange charge on your credit card, check your latest physical and online purchases (many businesses use a different name in their charges)
3. Contact your bank to confirm that the payment has been made (sometimes the seller has not received the money and therefore does not send it)
4. If it is a misleading offer, notify the company so that they take measures such as refunding your money, removing that advertising, or investigating if they have suffered Phishing.
5. Scan for malware and remove it so that you can break your hacker’s connection to your computer and prevent him from stealing more information.
6. Immediately change login passwords on all of your devices.
7. Act quickly so that you can try to minimize your risk factor.

How and where to Report?

1. Before filing the complaint, collect all the information (emails, invoices, purchase receipts, screenshots, SMS) as they will be evidence in your favor.
2. In the event of theft, suspicion of a duplicate credit/debit card, or email indicating that they will make a charge that you have not requested, call your bank to cancel it and deny future payments.
3. Contact your insurance in case they cover something for you.
4. Each country’s police have several ways to report online. (You can visit their official website and report them)
5. The Cybersecurity Institutes are also active so, you can contact them via the phone number, web portal, and email to file a cyber crime complaint (you can also visit their nearest office).
6. In some exceptional cases, you have to attach certain documents that must be consonant with the nature of the crime you are lodging a cybercrime compliant.

Here is the list of required documents for filing an online fraud complaint along with their categories (These may vary from country to county):

Email Abuse:

1. The written complaint stating the incidence.
2. Copy of suspected email (from original receiver)
3. Suspected email header
4. Both soft & hard copies of suspected emails in CD-R.

Social media:

1. Screenshot of the suspected content.
2. URL of the alleged profile.
3. Both hard & soft copy of the alleged content
4. Soft copy must be provided in supported file formats such as CD-R.

Online Transactions/ ATM transactions/Fake call/Internet banking:

1. Six months bank statement.
2. SMS received regarding suspected transactions.
3. Your ID Proof and address proof as per bank records

Data Theft:

1. A copy of the stolen data & brief details.
2. The copyright certificate of the stolen data.
3. Details of the suspected employees.
4. Letter of appointment of suspected employment.
5. Non-disclosure agreement of the employee/employees

Business Email:

1. Written brief about your incident.
2. Name as in the email or criminal and location.
3. Bank name & account number as per the email.
4. Recipient’s name, bank account number as in bank records.
5. Date and amount of transaction.
6. SWIFT number.

Originally published at https://www.temok.com on May 6, 2021.