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Internet users warned against unwittingly aiding cyber crooks

Internet users have been warned to resist the temptation of being a conduit to online banking fraud being perpetrated by cyber crooks siphoning money from accounts after compromising their internet security.

Through its Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) the US Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning that victims of the scam have been complaining about being hit.

People seeking employment online are the most likely to unwittingly aid the scam, which involves being "employed" and asked to set up an account through which the money can be trafficked.

According to the IC3, victims are often hired to "process payments", "transfer funds" or "reship products" in the scam, which also involves wiring money through Western Union.

"Job scams often provide criminals the opportunity to commit identity theft when victims provide their personal information, sometimes even bank account information to their potential 'employer'," warns the organisation.

ID theft and online fraud is one of the main concerns of ecommerce platforms, according to the fifth annual UK Online Fraud Report from secure payment provider CyberSource.

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