The FBI’s efforts to combat cyber terrorism are, once again, ensuring that they stay one step ahead of cyber criminals and the damage they seek to inflict.
The FBI recently announced that the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which was designed to serve as a model for sharing information and coordinating investigations regarding Internet crimes, is piloting a new program that is designed to better organize information at every level.
Richard McFeely, who serves as the FBI’s assistant director in its Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said that the pilot of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is being conducted in Utah, will serve as the “first step in our efforts to fix a gap” that the FBI and its law enforcement partners recognize exists regarding “the investigation and prosecution of Internet fraud.”
Specifically, the FBI will be able to better organize and disseminate the investigative leads they receive, thereby allowing state and local agencies to deal with the threats in a timely fashion.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center
The Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is now in its 14th year, has become a valuable resource for law enforcement agencies and the victims of Internet crime. The Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, allows crime victims to report Internet crime, thereby alerting the authorities to suspected criminal violations.
This agency also receives Internet-related complaints and follows up on those complaints by conducting research and developing reports that are used for law enforcement and regulatory agencies when developing investigations.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that, in 2012 alone, victims reported more than $500 million in losses due to Internet crimes, which include everything from online dating frauds and auction frauds to computer intrusions and charity frauds.