It is now an everyday matter that we find our inbox cluttered with spam e-mails claiming that we are the lucky winners of some lottery in some part of the world. And we are to redeem that enormous wealth; we would just have to advance a few thousand dollars in advance, for their shipping charges. It took a while for the masses to understand that it was a scam doing the rounds of the internet, but by that, a considerable amount of damage had already been done and a lot had fallen prey to this trap.
Do Not Hesitate to Report: However, although many of us come across such e-mails in our daily lives, hardly anyone of us bothers to report them. We may be conscious and aware enough to know by this time, that they are spam e-mails, but not reporting them does not bring to light the enormity of the offense of the frauds. Also, the location may sometimes be deciphered. But most of us worry about the consequences and do not want to get involved in the red-tapes and frequent interrogations that may ensue after lodging a formal complaint. This, however, is a completely wrong idea, and by reporting the scams you would be helping the authority to fight these law-breakers. Only awareness can prevent this type of crime from spreading.
Whom to Report
The best way, of course, would be to notify the FBI. Another is the US Internet Crime Complaint Center. They work round the clock to gain information about the whereabouts and operation of the scammers. Apart from them, you could also notify your bank or credit card company while checking on your account, since they know exactly what to do and who to notify if one of their clients becomes a victim of e-mail scam and their account has been broken into. It is also advisable to notify your local police because although they may have very little to do in a case of online fraud, it would be still prudent to notify and lodge a formal complaint with the local authorities.
Other Frauds
On the other hand, if you are the victim of Internet Phishing then you can report to the Internet Crime Prevention and Control Institute, which is a joint effort by the Zero Spam Network Corporation and the University of Miami. They have an electronic task force, well-equipped with the latest technology available and the undergraduate and the postgraduate students of the university and the Zero Spam Employees themselves are the active members in this. Medical frauds can be notified to the FDA by visiting their official website.