Internet fraud
The term internet fraud describes fraud in the context of internet crime . Colloquially, this term is also used to describe circumstances that do not correspond to the legal definition of fraud, but are farm trappings . While some forms of internet fraud occur exclusively on the internet, others represent variants of behavior outside the internet.
Internet fraud lives, among other things, from the massive information gap between victim and perpetrator. Because many mechanisms on the Internet seem safe but are not, victims feel wrongly safe.
Fraud Methods
Phishing
A well-known type of internet fraud is phishing. With this fraud method, a fake e-mail is sent to the potential victim of fraud stating that this person's house bank has a computer problem, combined with a request to transmit the confidential data ( PIN , TAN, etc.) to the bank. The e-mail and the bank's website are reproduced in a completely authentic manner. If the data is transmitted to the fake website, the fraudsters now have the opportunity to misuse the victim's data.
Identity theft
Identity theft is the misuse of personal data (the identity) of a natural person by third parties.
The goal of identity theft is usually to achieve a fraudulent financial advantage, to sell the data of the person concerned to interested parties (illegal credit agencies) or to discredit the rightful owner of the identity data (damage to reputation).
Entry fraud
Incoming fraud is a special form of fraud. The fraudster is deceiving about his intention to actually fulfill his obligations under a contract when they are due. In relation to the Internet, this means above all offering goods that you don't even have in online shops or online auctions.
Incoming fraud on the Internet requires payment in advance (e.g. by credit card). A variant occurs with orders from non-EU countries. You are asked to transfer the amount by direct transfer , for example via Western Union . From the buyer's point of view, this payment method is as insecure as a cash payment in advance.
Information theft
There is also information theft from web-based online counseling and contact portals (e.g. health data, problems, lifestyle habits, sexual preferences). Information theft often goes unnoticed by the person concerned, as initially there are no traces (in contrast to online banking - there, the fraud becomes visible at the latest by debiting money). The information obtained through the fraud is marketed , among others, by illegally operating credit agencies.
- See also snarfing
Subscription trap (internet subscription)
The entrepreneur offers the consumer the option to purchase a service after registering once. Some time later (usually after two weeks) the service provider claims that a continuing obligation with a contract period of at least two years has come about and the statutory withdrawal period has expired. The service provider demands payments - often through well-known lawyers or debt collection agencies - for the option to use the service for two years.
There are numerous other types of fraud that are primarily based on good faith . One problem with internet fraud is the difficulty of proving it (if it is noticed at all).
Clauses in general terms and conditions
Clauses in general terms and conditions , in which the cost of an Internet offer is hidden, are surprising and ineffective for consumers in accordance with § 305c Paragraph 1 BGB if they did not have to expect a chargeable service due to the appearance of the website.
See also
- Pharming , spoofing , vishing (VoIP)
- Computer fraud , computer crime , Dialerschutz.de , social engineering
- Useless provider
Individual evidence
- ↑ Federal Office for Information Security: Phishing ( Memento of the original from November 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ OLG Frankfurt , judgment of December 2, 2008, Az. 6 U 187/07, full text .
