Latest DoJ bust risky: lawyer
p2pnet.net News:- News of a huge US Department of Justice cyber-crime crackdown could do more to encourage computer criminals than dissuade them, says a Sacramento intellectual property attorney.
Immediately following news that it turned national and state enforcement and police services loose on Underground Networks, a small US website, the DoJ announced the culmination of Operation Web Snare which resulted in the arrests or convictions of 150 people.
But, “That news is more scary than it is encouraging,” lawyer Glenn Peterson is quoted as saying in an eWeek story here. “It shows that the DOJ has not dedicated anything close to the resources necessary to deal with computer-related crime, especially spam and identity theft.
“”Frankly, I think this news should be heartening to online crooks. It reinforces the notion that drives many of them to begin with – that pure statistics favor them not getting caught.”
The Federal Trade Commission says Net-related complaints accounted for 55% of all consumer fraud reports it received in 2003, up from 45% in 2002, according to the DoJ Web Snare press release.
“The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) – a joint project of the FBI and the National White-Collar Crime Center – reported that it referred 71,442 Internet-related fraud complaints to law enforcement in 2003, and 42,183 Internet-related fraud complaints in the first half of 2004,” it continued, pointing out that by comparison, the IC3 referred to law enforcement 48,252 Internet-related fraud complaints in 2002, and 16,775 Internet-related fraud complaints in 2001.
“For some types of online crime, such as ‘phishing’ – the use of emails and websites resembling those of legitimate organizations to commit identity theft and fraud – the incidence of reporting has grown dramatically,” the DoJ states.
“In the first six months of 2004, according to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, an industry coalition, the number of unique phishing attacks increased by more than 800 percent – from 176 in January, 2004 to 1,422 in June, 2004.”
August 30th, 2004 at 12:29 am
I read this as well. It’s so, so true. I’m heavily involved online and have been for over a decade. I’m directly involved with the Underground Network and have been questioned by the FBI.
What I find frightening? I’ve filed numerous reports on Identity Theft attemps, Credit Card fraud, and “Phishing” (Google it if you don’t know). All of them were given the same answer: NOTHING. I’ve directly called the local FBI office. I’ve called the Secret Service office. I’ve followed the proper channels that were laid out to report such things.
Never once do I get a reply. Never once is the suspect dealt with. Never once is anything done. I still, however, continue to report each and every one, hoping someday the federal government will wake up and discover the REAL online criminals.
~G
August 30th, 2004 at 10:24 pm
LMAO….the FBI is more worried about a network hub than identity theft and the millions of dollars lost in that fraudulent act. Really shows where the priorites are. They say they are “protecting the rights of the Buisness”…..what about the “right of the consumer who’s life/identity was stolen of the web”…?
SNAFU
September 27th, 2004 at 6:00 am
Enjoy the Music
If they don’t want us to listen to the music, watch the movies, or run the programs, then they should get their heads out of their behinds and quit putting it on public media. You know, TV- Radio – Audio Media –
Internet – Video in Stores…etc. The music industry bites! They are so selfish and greedy about trying to control us, and yet they put this stuff out for everyone to see and hear. This is like giving the enemy a blueprint of a working bomb, directions to the parts store, a loan to buy the parts, a scientist to build it, and a high tech delivery system. I consider it a violation of freedom of speech to limit any form of verbal communication. Yet in the name of money and greed it is a daily thing. You people love pushing VCR’s – TV’s – DVD’s – Computers – Recorders, (and all the components and accessories you can dream-up or steal) on us, and after we buy this stuff– that you tell us and is advertise for personal use–you want to control and manipulate how we use it & limit what we can do with it. Even the most limited way of controlling something meant for personal use is an invasion of our personal privacy. We realize the music industry has no respect for people or the constitution. They take free speech and put a price tag on it. they take personal privacy and invade it with their manipulation. This is what they call commerce, and as long as they pay taxes they believe it gives them the right to fleece the public of its money. We live in the greatest nation on earth and yet we are the most oppressed by the greedy entities that are allowed to pepper our shores. I know that if people look at the constitution they will find numerous examples of personal right violations by the music industry. Next time we vote we need to make sure we vote for someone who will make sure our personal rights (that are guaranteed by the constitution) are upheld despite of the popular notion by the music industry we are fatter for the cannons of big business. The constitution is supposed to guarantee the rights of the people are not compromised by others and that business will not dictate how people should live their lives. The government should be stepping on the necks of these dirty little dictators.
Webster defines ENEMY as a nation or force hostile to another. Make no mistake the music industry is made up of a small nation of wealthy businesses defiantly bent on being hostile to the constitutional rights of the people of America over money. Remember the music industry wants to virus all computers that have mp3’s in them and are lobbying for permission to do so. If you download they want to create a slow down or shut down your internet connection. They want to look inside your computer and charge you money for each mp3 they find. If you think this is scary then just think of recent events and laws:
1) It is illegal to spread viruses of any kind on the internet. People who do so are incarcerated, but the music industry wants to do just that and maliciously destroy your computer and all your data.
2) It is illegal to cause a slow down of ISP’s (DOS attacks) Denial Of Service Attacks The music industry wants to be big brother and monitor every connection and shut down your internet if you download something they don’t like.
3) It is illegal to look inside (HACK) anyone’s computer without written permission. The music industry wants to see all your data, invade your privacy, view accounts – passwords – bank records – credit cards address books – your email – health – anything on your PC (personal computer).
If I have something I want to share with you and you want to hear it (music or speech) then to interfere with it is a violation of my right to express my free speech. The automobile manufacturers do not tell us where to drive or how to do it. The TV manufactures do not tell us what channel to view or for how long. The phone company dose not tell who to call or when or how ling or often or any other utility for that matter. I bought my stereo with the idea in mind that it did not have just one radio station on it, but now that it is the computer age someone wants to be hall monitor. Computers are wonderful tools, you can learn with them, work with them, be entertained by them and most important share with them. This idea offends the narrow-minded few in the music industry who would impose communist style laws that will be enforced by some misguided agency they have lobbied for. If this kind of ideology is allowed to spring up in America, then any business that figures it need to rape the pockets of the citizens, will use the government as the tool of enforcement. So much for the constitution. The shoe of the people has been put on the other foot and citizen’s rights have been replaced with corporate ideas on how to get rich at our expense. Think of it, if the big business has so much wealth and pays so much taxes, then how come everything is based on the everyday consumer and not other big businesses. The lies have been perpetrated and the cover up is in progress. I refuse to be part of this music industry and will never lay down for them. Remember Alan Parson’s song “I wouldn’t want to be like you”
September 12th, 2005 at 4:11 pm
Has anyone at all found out what the sentencing was on these cases?