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The
Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly with the Department
of Justice and National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) has created the Internet Fraud Complaint
Center (IFCC). The IFCC was established to combat the
growing problem of fraud occurring over the Internet by
providing a vehicle for victims around the country to report
incidents of fraud online.
"The
Internet Fraud Complaint Center allows consumers who suspect
Internet fraud to share that information with law
enforcement quickly and efficiently," said Attorney
General Janet Reno. "Our ability to work with private
citizens and industry is extremely important to our efforts
to fight Internet crime, and the IFCC is a major step
forward in that fight."
FBI
Director Louis J. Freeh said, "The Internet provides a
boundless new medium for many traditional frauds
investigated by the FBI. That there are real victims
suffering significant losses remains unchanged. This center
is another positive development as law enforcement responds
to yet another facet of cybercrime."
"The
crucial difference in fraud committed over the Internet is
that the perpetrator can ‘virtually' vanish, leaving
consumers wondering who or where to turn to for help,"
said West Virginia State Auditor Glen B. Gainer III,
Chairman of the Board of Directors for the NW3C. "This
unique partnership gives victims of Internet fraud a way to
fight back in this largely unregulated environment,"
Gainer added.
The IFCC
is cosponsored by the FBI and the NW3C and is located in
Morgantown, West Virginia. A dedicated Web site located at
www.ifccfbi.gov gives consumers nationwide the ability to
file Internet fraud complaints online with the IFCC. Victims
can go directly to the secure IFCC Web site to submit
complaint information, making it a fast and efficient forum
to file an Internet fraud complaint. IFCC's trained
personnel log complaints filed on-line, analyze them to
determine the jurisdiction of the complaint, conduct the
appropriate level of analytical and investigative work that
is necessary, and disseminate the information to the
appropriate local, state, and/or federal law enforcement
agencies for criminal, civil, or administrative action, as
needed. The IFCC will adequately identify and track new
fraudulent schemes on the Internet on a national and
international level.
"The
IFCC has been developed to identify, track, and assist in
the prosecution of fraudulent schemes on the Internet on a
national and international level. This partnership will
allow law enforcement and the private sector to address and
eradicate this growing problem," Freeh said.
Freeh also
noted that without the tremendous contribution from the
private sector in providing their expertise with the
technical support and guidance this project would not have
been possible.
The NW3C
is funded through a grant award from the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, Department of
Justice. The NW3C provides a national support network for
law enforcement agencies, state regulatory bodies, state and
local prosecution offices, and other organizations involved
in the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of
high-tech and economic crime. It has had great success in
forming cooperative projects between local, state and
federal law enforcement agencies, and, just as important,
between the public and private sector business.
From
Washington D.C. FBI National Press Office
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eBay For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Internet Fraud Complaint Center
