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The New Internet Scams 新型网络诈骗

详细资料: 创建于 2009年10月05日; 最后更新于 2024年5月25日; 发布于 2012年3月16日; 作者：Mike Lee; 点击数：268

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Technology and the sour economy breed Internet rip-offs 科技推陈出新，又适逢经济不景气，连带使得网络诈骗案激增

Scams are as old as history. But Internet fraud, which already had been accelerating with each technological innovation, has been given a new opportunity with the economic downturn.

诈骗事件可说是自有人类历史以来就一直存在着；不过，如今网络诈骗案却因为科技日新月异而激增，又碰上了经济衰退而有了趁虚而入的机会。

A 2008 Internet Crime Complaint Center report found that scam reports to the center had increased 33 percent over the previous year to a record 275,285 complaints. And figures for the first three months of this year ran about double those in the months covered by the report, a center spokesman said. Another agency – the Federal Trade Commission – said it compiled 1.2 million complaints last year from a variety of law enforcement sources, up from 230,600 in 2000.

「网络犯罪投诉中心」在二００八年发布的报告指出，该中心接获的诈骗案件数在一年间上扬了百分之三十三，达到创纪录的二十七万五千两百八十五件，而据该中心发言人指出，今年前三个月的件数为去年同期的一倍左右。另一家机构「美国联邦贸易委员会」则指出，去年各个执法单位总共接获一百二十万件投诉案，比二０００年的二十三万零六百件增加甚多。

New methods 新犯罪手法层出不穷

The popularity of social networking sites has been a boon for scammers.

社交人脉网站广受欢迎，也使网络诈骗者乘隙而入。

“They can infiltrate your Facebook account and send e-mails to your friends, saying, ‘I’ve been in a skiing accident,’ and they ask for money,” said John Kane, author of the crime center’s annual report. “If you think it’s from a friend, you might consider sending something.”

「诈骗者可能会渗入取得你的Facebook账号，并发送电子邮件给你的朋友，谎称『我发生滑雪事故了，』然后开口要钱，」「网络犯罪投诉中心」报告作者约翰．肯恩指出，「如果你信以为真，就可能会考虑寄点东西聊表心意。」

Fraudulent e-mails looking like authentic messages from a person’s bank can be sent to cell phones. Scammers can also break into sites of professional or social organizations, then use the information to target victims, who in turn think the messages have validity because the sender seems familiar with their job or lifestyle.

此外，人们也有可能透过手机接到诈骗电子邮件，表面上却很像是银行所发出的可靠讯息。诈骗者还可能入侵专业或社会机构，然后利用盗取的信息来锁定受害人，后者往往会误以为接到的是可靠信息，因为发送讯息者似乎真的对他们的工作或生活方式了如指掌。

The advances in technology, Kane said, would probably have increased the number of scams in any case, but the sudden downturn in the economy made things worse – in two respects.

肯恩指出，无论如何，科技的进步都可能是使网络诈骗案增加的原因，不过，经济突然间衰退，却使情况更雪上加霜──而这可以从两个层面来看。

“You have tech-savvy individuals who are out of work and turn to scamming as a means of income,” he said. “They do this for a living, and they do it very well.”

「有些精通科技的人发现自己失业了，于是就转而靠诈骗来获取金钱，」他解释说，「这些人靠这种方式谋生，而且还相当精于此道。」

But more obviously, the tight times have made some people desperate for money, and more susceptible to scams.

但另一个更明显的原因则是，景气不好使得有些人需钱孔急，他们很容易就会铤而走险诉诸诈骗。

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More Information

scam [ˋskæm] n.【美】【俚】骗钱；诈取

sour [ˋsaʊr] adj.【口】扫兴的，令人失望的

rip-off【俚】剥削; 欺诈; 敲竹杠

fraud [frɔd] n. 欺骗（行为）；诡计；骗局

downturn [ˋdaʊntɝn] n.（经济）衰退，下降

compile [kəmˋpaɪl] v. 收集（资料等）

boon [bun] n. 非常有用的东西；益处

validity [vəˋlɪdətɪ] n. 有效性, 正确性

tech-savvy 懂技术的

susceptible [səˋsɛptəb!] v. 易受…影响的; 易为…左右的 capable of undergoing

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It could happen to you 人人自危

The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas gets such complaints all the time, said Jeannette Kopko, the local senior vice president. And these days, her staff may be more sympathetic than ever. The organization was itself recently victimized.

「达拉斯都会区更佳事业局」驻当地的资深副总裁珍柰特．柯普柯指出，该机构经常接获网络诈骗案的投诉，而最近她手下员工对受害人的同情可能更甚于以往，因为该机构最近也成了受害者。

The common assumption is that scams are primarily aimed at the elderly, but statistics don’t necessarily back that up. According to a Federal Trade Commission report published in February, 40- to 49-year-olds accounted for the largest number of complaints – 26 percent of the total. Complaints 60 to 69 years old and those older than 70 accounted for about 4 percent each.

一般往往以为，诈骗案的目标都锁定在老年人身上，但其实不然，统计数据并不支持上述看法。据「美国联邦贸易委员会」二月发布的报告显示，四十到四十九岁的人才是申报投诉案的最大族群，占了总数的百分之二十六；至于六十至六十九岁的投诉者和七十岁以上的投诉者，则各占了总数的百分之四左右，比例并不算高。

Identity theft victims tended to be even younger. The largest group reporting complaints were 20- to 29-year-olds. Nor are all the victims necessarily unemployed or poorly educated.

身分遭窃取的受害者则往往年纪更轻，这类投诉人以二十岁至二十九岁的人占最大宗，此外，受害者也不一定都失业或教育水平低落。

Keeping your money and identity safe 保护自己的钱财和身分数据的安全

How to avoid being a scam victim: 如何避免成为诈骗案受害者：

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. 如果事情看起来简直好到不像真的，那很可能就是假的。
Fact checking, good judgment and a healthy dose of skepticism are the best defenses. 务必详查事实真相，良好的判断，再加上适度的存疑，就是最佳防范诈骗之道。
Use common sense: There is no legitimate reason why anyone would give you a check or money order and ask you to wire money in return. 多运用常识判断：怎么可能会有人送你一张支票或汇票，然后再要求你把金额汇回给对方，找不到任何正当理由可以解释上述做法，所以一定是诈骗。
Rational people can make irrational decisions when under stress. If you are in financial trouble, recognize your vulnerability and think twice before you get involved in a suspicious venture. 理性的人在压力之下，也可能做出不理性的决定，如果你陷入财务困境，要明白自己可能会很脆弱、容易受骗，因此在贸然投入可疑的活动前，务必三思。

How to avoid identity theft: 如何避免身分遭窃取：

Never give personal information of any kind over the telephone or online unless you initiate the contact. 除非是由你本人主动联系的，否则就绝对不要透过电话或网络传递任何个人信息。
Check your credit reports. Look for telltale signs such as an address change you didn’t make. 察看你的信用记录，看看其中有没有可疑之处，像是地址有所更动，但却并不是你本人去主动改的。
Monitor your bank account statements frequently for suspicious activity. 应经常监控你的银行账户对账单，看看其中有没有可疑之处。
Shred or tear up unwanted documents that contain personal information. 载有个人资料的文件，废弃不用时应撕碎销毁。

－by David Flick

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