The Federal Trade Commission and its partners in government and the technology industry today unveiled a new section of the OnGuardOnline.gov website with tips and activities to help buyers and sellers spot and avoid Internet auction fraud. The site’s interactive game, “Auction Action,” allows consumers to rack up points answering auction-related questions from different categories.
In 2005, the FTC received 80,450 complaints related to Internet auctions, or about 12 percent of the total number of complaints, making it the second most common kind of complaint after those about identity theft. The new Web site explains how Internet auctions work, the pros and cons of using different payment options, and how – as a buyer or seller – you can avoid the most common types of fraud.
In addition to the auction information, OnGuardOnline.gov covers other online safety topics, including spyware, identity theft, phishing, and spam scams. The multimedia, interactive consumer education campaign was launched last fall by the FTC and a partnership of other federal agencies and the technology industry. OnGuardOnline.gov has received over 650,000 unique visits, and the FTC has distributed over 800,000 brochures and bookmarks. There is no copyright on the quizzes or other information on OnGuardOnline.gov; the information can be downloaded by companies and other organizations to use in their own computer security programs.
Reference:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/02/fyi0612.shtm
1 comments:
Great, and very informative, article.
Perhaps I can just add to this that the best way to guard against being ripped off by online sales or auctions of any kind, Craigslist and eBay included—and whether seller or buyer—is to use a *bona fide* online escrow company. Especially for pricier items like antiques, jewelry and autos. Although it does add some cost, it takes the uncertainty out of the transaction, and that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
For my money, the best bona fide online escrow (and there seems to be ten fraudulent escrow sites for every bona fide one) is probably Escrow.com (http://escrow.com). In fact, it’s the only one that eBay recommends, and is the only online escrow company that is licensed to provide escrow services all across the United States.
Take care,
Ulf Wolf
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