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Law enforcement agencies crack down on Internet auction scams
Washington-AP -- Federal and state regulators are raising the stakes in the battle against Internet auction fraud. The Federal Trade Commission is announcing today it's joining 33 state and local law enforcement agencies in a big crackdown. They're targeting auction con artists with nearly 60 actions ranging from criminal prosecutions to warning letters.
Auction fraud was the top Internet-related complaint recorded by the F-T-C last year, with thousands of people reporting they were fleeced out of money and merchandise.
Many of the cases involve consumers winning an online auction, paying up, but never receiving any merchandise. Others are victims of identity theft.
The F-T-C says many of the scams occur on e-Bay because of the large volume of auctions there. The F-T-C and regional agencies are also launching a campaign to educate people about the dangers of Internet auction fraud.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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