Internet Scammers Still Lucrative Amid Difficult Financial Times -

2008-11-25 06:20:37 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - News, Technology)

In a report released Monday pertaining to the underground Internet economy, evidence is presented that demonstrates how scammers have made it an organized and lucrative arena.

Wired PR News.com – As reported by CNET, the Symantec Report presents information on the extensive amount of criminal activity on the Internet that if sold on the free market might be worth an estimated $275 million, and $7 billion if factors such as the theft of bank funds were factored in.

The kinds of web-based activity that are categorized as underground include those deemed illegal or criminal such as scamming credit card or bank account information from Internet users. Many cybercriminals retrieve this kind of information through viruses from keystroke loggers or phishing. Some do so by requesting the information directly through disguised emails presented with bank logos, and other false or misleading information.

The Symantec report is information compiled from the culmination of data taken from a year of observing criminal activity on the web. Most of the activity was traced from the United States and other parts of North America.

Photo Credit: Matt Britt