In the latest version of never-ending electronic scams, thieves posing as police officers, call unsuspecting victims and say they have an arrest warrant because cameras caught the victims running a red light or speeding. They tell victim to send bail money or face immediate arrest. How should they send it? By one of those totally untraceable pre-paid deposit / money transfer cards – just buy it, call back and give the “police” the number, and oh by the way kiss your money goodbye.
Perhaps you would never fall for this, most of the victims are those who can least afford it; the aged, the poor, the uneducated, and recent immigrants – those who can be easily bullied or frightened.
This is similar to the fake Internal Revenue Service calls targeting small businesses and threatening to seize their bank accounts if they didn’t pay up. Then there are the calls and emails about a relative in jail or stranded in a foreign county. In some cases the crooks imitate the relative on the telephone.
Many of these scams, and truckloads of others, either originate, travel through, or thrive in foreign countries where the crooks have access to better communications technology than law enforcement, corruption is rampant, or both. However, we have plenty of homegrown criminals who regularly violate the existing laws against using false caller ID numbers and flood the system with illegal robo-calls; “Your doctor recommended it, press 1 to notify your doctor you don’t want it.” Sure.
There are also growing numbers of expensive and dangerous malicious fake 911 calls claiming fire, medical, or law enforcement emergencies at a targeted address. These have generated unnecessary police and SWAT responses that could end in tragedy. Additionally, if the medical emergency team is answering a fake call they are not available to answer an authentic one.
There are some laws on the books but they are, obviously, ineffective. The government can’t keep up with the technology and does not have the resources to attack a widespread epidemic of criminality that has such a low-cost entry fee. Few of the perpetrators are identified and arrested. Under the current system the potential rewards far outweigh costs and the risks; therefore, we have to change the system.
We have to start pressuring foreign governments to identify and prosecute scam artists electronically targeting Americans. The administration would have to certify this annually; penalty for failing to crackdown would be a significant drop in foreign aid to that government.
We must install rules that require the telecommunications companies to take, and act on, complaints of illegal calls, confirm that the illegal practice is happening, notify law enforcement authorities, and block the real source of the calls.
Untraceable electronic cash transfers must go and credit/debit card companies should be forced to implement increased security hardware, software, and processes. The way it is now these mega, highly profitable, companies have no incentive to do so; they just pass the costs of massive system fraud on to their customers.
The punishment for electronic crime needs stiffened fines and criminal sentencing. Part of the fines should be used as reward money to encourage low-level “boiler room” workers who make live calls and others to report these illegal operations to law enforcement.
Owning a home phone or a cellphone or using the Internet should not be an invitation for a stranger to come and steal from you as is now the case. By the same token, access to an electronic money transfer should not afford anonymity that encourages illegal and dangerous behavior.
Since these issues are both an international and interstate problem it is past time for the Federal Government to take effective measures to fight electronic crime. My wife and I have never been the victims and it is doubtful we ever will be, but our phones, emails, and Internet are regularly bombarded by those trying to pry open the door to our bank accounts and it’s happening to just about everyone. These criminals need to be stopped before they get in.
Contact your representative and senators and tell them you want action.