FTC filed 319 Internet scam cases in 2003

FTC filed 319 Internet scam cases in 2003 - (United Press International): "

FTC filed 319 Internet scam cases in 2003

WASHINGTON, March 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday its pursuit of Internet fraud and deception unit last year resulted in 319 cases being filed.

Speaking before a Senate committee, the director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection said the 319 cases involve identity theft, auction fraud, investment fraud, 'Nigerian scams,' and cross-border Internet fraud.

Howard Bales said, 'Internet fraud causes significant injury to consumers and harms public confidence in the Internet as an emerging market.'

He told the Senate panel that his bureau maintains a central clearinghouse of identity theft victims, making the information available to more than 850 criminal and civil enforcement agencies throughout the nation.

Last year 214,905 complaints were filed with the FTC's ID Theft Clearinghouse, about 10 percent of which came from consumers age 60 or older, Bales said."