IDENTITY THEFT Internet Safety Tips  Monitor your credit statements AUCTION FRAUD monthly for any fraudulent activity. Cybercrime  Before you bid, contact the seller  Report unauthorized transactions to with any questions you have. your bank or credit card company as Tips:  Review the seller's feedback. soon as possible.  Be cautious when dealing with in-  Review a copy of your credit report dividuals outside of your own at least once a year. country. Internet Crime  Ensure you understand refund, re- PHISHING/SPOOFING turn, and warranty policies.  Be suspicious of any unsolicited  Determine the shipping charges email requesting personal infor- before you buy. mation.  Be wary if the seller only accepts  Avoid filling out forms in email wire transfers or cash. messages that ask for personal infor- mation.  Log on to the official website, in- .IDENTITY THEFT stead of "linking" to it from an un-  Ensure websites are secure prior to solicited email. submitting your credit card #.  Contact the actual business that sup- Look for https: and a lock symbol. posedly sent the e-mail to verify if  Do your homework to ensure the the e-mail is genuine. business or website is legitimate.  Attempt to obtain a physical ad- CREDIT CARD FRAUD dress, rather than a P.O. box.  Ensure a site is secure and reputable  Never throw away credit card or before providing your credit card bank statements in usable form. number online.  Be aware of missed bills which  Promptly reconcile credit card state- could indicate your account has ments to avoid unauthorized charg- What to do if been taken over. es.  Be cautious of scams requiring  Do your research to ensure legitima- you’re a you to provide your personal in- cy of the individual or company. formation.  Beware of providing credit card in- victim  Never give your credit card num- formation when requested through ber over the phone unless you unsolicited emails. make the call. What is Internet Crime? Internet crime is defined as any illegal What to do if you What happens after you file a activity involving one or more compo- complaint with IC3? nents of the Internet, such as websites, are a victim chat rooms, and/or email. Internet You will receive an email containing your crime involves the use of the Internet to 1. Make a Bloomington Police complaint number and password. This email communicate false or fraudulent repre- Report and provide them will contain a link to an area on their web- sentations to consumers. with any evidence you may site where you can view and/or download have that is related to the an Adobe PDF version of your complaint, and also provide additional information to

Types of Internet Crime crime. be added to your complaint. These crimes may include, but are not 2. You should be given a copy limited to, advance-fee schemes, non- of this brochure. delivery of goods or services, computer When will you be updated on hacking, or employment/business op- 3. Go online and navigate to: portunity schemes. www.ic3.gov. (Internet Crime the status of your com- Complaint Center) plaint’s investigation? 4. Click the red button which After a complaint is filed with the Bloom- says “File a Complaint” ington Police Department, you should hear something back within a couple of weeks. 5. Follow the steps and fill out If you do not, contact the police department the form completely. at (309-820-8888) and ask for the Criminal Investigations Division. Explain that you made a report and would like to know the What happens after you status of that report. Who is going to help you? make a complaint with The Bloomington Police Department Bloomington P.D.? How do you add additional in- and the Internet Crime Complaint formation to your existing IC3 Center (IC3). IC3 is the result of a The Bloomington Police Department will partnership between the Federal Bu- complete a written report and secure any complaint and police report? reau of Investigation (FBI) and the evidence you turn over. The case will be You can update your complaint with IC3 by National White Collar Crime Center assigned to a BPD detective. Please be pa- providing your previously assigned com- (NW3C). IC3 is the national clearing tient as detectives have multiple cases as- plaint number and password. house for all internet/cybercrime cas- signed to them. The BPD detective will es. The Bloomington Police depart- contact IC3 for information concerning To add information to your existing police ment is an active member of IC3 and others victimized by the same suspect(s) report, contact the assigned detective direct- governed by a signed Memorandum of from your case. This allows the detective ly or the front desk of the police department Understanding. to seek enhanced criminal penalties against at 309-820-8888. Your information will be the suspect(s). taken and added to the report.