Over the last five years, the Federal Trade Commission has filed more than 100 lawsuits for fraud and deception against nearly 300 businesses and individuals, according to a staff report released Tuesday.
The actions have resulted in the recovery of an estimated $100 million for victims of Internet fraud.
The lawsuits “targeted technology-based scams such as modem hijacking, spam, and Web cramming, as well as traditional scams that have moved online, such as pyramid schemes, credit scams, and bogus health claims,” the report stated.
The report also found that consumers are at risk because of the Internet’s attractiveness to fraudulent operators as well as legitimate businesses, despite efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat Internet fraud.
“Scams involving hijacking modems and Web sites, which are unique to the Internet, exploit its special features to trick consumers,” the report states.
In a move to combat the scams, the report notes that the FTC has partnered with more than 200 law enforcement and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada and with corresponding agencies in various other countries.
