Crimes committed via the Internet may seem relatively harmless, but they are taken very seriously by law enforcement. There are a variety of Internet-related activities which are considered fraudulent in nature. Online fraud can include such things as Identity Theft, Online Extortion, International Money Laundering and Theft of Trade Secrets.
As a means of dealing with Internet criminal activity, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined together to establish the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The function of the IC3 is to receive complaints of illicit online activity and then refer those cases to whichever agency they believe is most appropriate. These agencies may operate on the international, federal, state or local level.
The IC3 is helpful to both the victims of Internet crimes as well as the authorities tasked with addressing these crimes. Victims simply report their issues to the IC3, which then in turn informs other agencies of the possible violations. The authorities benefit from this process by having a central source of referral regarding complaints of cyber crimes.
The Internet is so vast that it may seem impossible for cyber crimes to be easily traced. However, with the creation of the IC3, law enforcement is demonstrating the aggressiveness with which it will pursue those suspected of illegal Internet activity.
Charges of Internet fraud are extremely serious. Should you ever be on the receiving end of such charges, you may feel motivated to seek legal counsel. A Louisiana white collar crimes attorney may be able to examine the circumstances of your case and advise you on your best options.