Online fraud and scams are common. Here’s how they happen and how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim. (fizkes, Shutterstock)
Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Anyone that has ever engaged in any sort of online commerce knows that it can be a great way to find and buy items and sell items no longer used or needed.
It can also sometimes be a hunting ground for online fraudsters and scammers.
Earlier this month, eight Utahns and one Washington resident were indicted by a federal grand jury and accused of obtaining $100 million worth of credit and debit card purchases through a scheme that involved the sale of nutraceutical, CBD and dietary supplements.
To facilitate “tens of thousands” of misleading online sales, the defendants are accused of setting up hundreds of websites and limited liability companies, hundreds of business checking accounts and hundreds of merchant processing accounts in the names of others but which they controlled. They recruited and paid individuals referred to in the indictment as “straw owners” for the use of their personal information, according to the indictment.
Online fraud and scams often occur on a much smaller scale. Here’s how it happens, and how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.
The differing faces of online fraud and scam
“As we live in a society that does more and…
