• COMMERCIAL CRIME:

        "Commercial crime covers crime such as fraud which is deceiving a person or company to get goods and money through forgery. It is caused by greed, common criminality and uncertainty about employment." 

• Types of commercial crime:
• And how to protect yourself from these crimes: 

1- CREDIT CARD FRAUD: 
"Credit card fraud is a wide-ranging term for theft and fraud committed using or involving a payment card, such as a credit card or debit card, as a fraudulent source of funds in a transaction.The purpose may be to obtain goods without paying, or to obtain unauthorised funds from an account."

• Types of credit cards fraud:

1. By Traditional techniques:                                                    

 a- Application fraud: This type of fraud is identified by paper. Where an individual will falsify an application to acquire a credit card. Application fraud can be split in to assumed identity, where an individual pretends to be someone else; and second financial fraud , where an individual gives false information about his or her financial status to acquire credit.
b- Lost and stolen cards: There is also the illegal of lost and stolen cards which makes up a significant area of credit card frauds.
 2.  By modern techniques:

a- Skimming: some people commit frauds by using skimming. This where the information held on either the magnetic strip on the back side of the credit card, or the data stored on the chips copied from one card to another.

 b- Account takeover/ Identity theft: Account takeover activities are inside jobs where the suspect  provide all  account information of the card owner to a syndicate. The syndicate then call the "card center" to introduce themselves as the owner of the card and report a missing card. The syndicate apply for a change of address and after approval, the bank will replace the reportedly the missing card without the knowledge of the original owner. The new card delivered to the syndicate's address. 

c- Credit card generation: Computer emulating software that creates valid credit card numbers and expiry dates. These generations are highly reliable at creating valid credit card details and available for free download off the internet. Making them available to many individuals who run fraudulent operations.

d-Non-received issue: An incident where the delivery of the card to the consumer who applied is stolen or intercepted. The postal worker are most likely involved. The original cards then fall in to the hands of syndicates. Who max out purchases on the credit card comes with an ATM PIN for cash with drawls.

e- Doctored cards: The metallic stripe on a card can be erased using a strong magnet. the criminal do this and then alter details on the card to match those of a valid card. The card does not work and the criminal then con the merchant into punching in the card details manually.

• PROTECTION:

a- Never lend your card to strangers for any kind of transactions.
b- Do not disclose your credit card or info to any stranger.
c- Do nor disclose in formations or details to a party that promises you to help you to register credit card.
d- Keep in touch to the bank to confirm that the credit card has not been received within the promised time frame.

2- E-BANKING FRAUD:

The method of banking in which the customers conducts transactions electronically via banking. Most e-banking fraud cases are due to the negligence of the customer who disclose their personal identification numbers (PIN) and passwords to a third party. In most cases, the victim receives an SMS alleging that the victim has won a cash prize. To claim the price, the victim is instructed to open an internet banking account and follow instructions given by a stranger. This includes disclosing their PIN. A mobile phone syndicate acts as the medium to receive the SMS with the bank's verification code. Other methods include phishing-tricking the victims into disclosing their bank account or credit card info by spending an email that look like they have been sent by a legitimate bank, asking the victim to disclose personal info, or directing them to a fake website that resembles a legitimate website.

• PROTECTION:

      Here are some simple tips to prevent you from falling into trap of cyber criminals. A simple ignorance or oversight can make a huge dent in your hard earned savings.

a- Securing your account: Avoid on line banking on unsecured wifi systems and operate only from PCs at home. never reveal password to anyone. Do not even write it on a piece of paper on diary. Just memorize it. It shout be alphanumeric and change it frequently.Never reply to queries from bank on line about account or personal details. The personal information should not be kept in a  public computer or emails.

b- Spam: Spam is an electronic "junk mail" or unwanted messages sent to your email account or mobile phone. these messages vary but are essentially commercial and often annoying in their sheer volume. They may try to persuade you to buy a product or service, or visit a website where you can make purchases; or they may attempt trick you into divulging your bank account or credit cart details.

c- Check sites Url: Always check the URL of your bank's web site. Fraudsters can lure you to enter your user ID and password at a fake website that resembles your bank. If you see anything other then the bank's genuine URL, it has to be fake.
Never enter your user ID or password or such sensitive information without ascertaining that you are on the right website. Always  type the Web address of your bank into the browser address space. Never click on the link in the email.
d- Fool proof password: Change your on line banking password at regular intervals. Also, avoid easy-to-guess passwords, like first names, birthdays, kid's or spouse's name and telephone numbers. try to have alpha-numeric password.to your bank and change
If you have several bank accounts, never use the same on line banking password for all. Never select the option on browser that stores or retains user name and password. As it can easily be cracked by cyber criminals. Also never paste your password, always type it in.
e- Always check 'last logged': Most banks have a 'last logged in' panel on their websites. If your bank has it, check the panel whenever you log in. I f you notice irregularities(like you are logging after two days but panel says you logged in that morning), report the matter immediately  to your bank and change your password right away.
Always log out when you exit the online banking portal. Close the browser to ensure that your secure session is terminated. Never exit simply by closing the browser.
f- Keep your system up to date: Regularly check for security updates for your computer operating system. Most security updates are aimed at reducing risks to your computer, these may be data-related or otherwise. Make sure that your operating system and browser have the latest security patches installed. And, always install these only from trusted websites.
Install a personal firewall to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorised access to your computer, especially if you connect to the internet through a cable or a DSL modem.
g- Public access can be injurious: Don't leave the PC unattended after keying in information while transacting on the website. Avoid accessing your bank on line at cyber cafes or an a share or public computer. Also, avoid locations that offer on line connections through wireless networks (Wi-Fi), where privacy and security are minimal.
h- Follow Bank instructions: Banks say that appropriate up gradations are carried out from time to time by their IT departments for risk mitigation, They issue instructions to the customers to manage their accounts through virtual keyboards by way of which the characters typed by them are not identified by hackers. SMS alerts are also an important tool since any transactions carried out on account is reported to the account holder through an SMS.

3- INHERITANCE FRAUD:
The suspect will inform the victim that the latter has been identified as the heir to an inheritance from someone who has died. The fortune is usually overseas. Several supporting documents from government departments, such as the ministry of justice, court, central bank of Malaysia, are included to convince the victim. The victim, whether a Malaysian or foreigner, is told to have so-called grandfather or relative who used to be in Malaysia and is a wealthy benefactor  who left no heirs upon their death. In such cases, the suspects will charge a fee to handle the transfer of the inheritance to the victim. However, the fact that the alleged fortune does not exist.
If you respond to the fraudsters, they will ask to pay various fees. e.g: taxes, legal fees, banking fees etc. so they can release your non-existent inheritance.
What should you do if you are a victim of inheritance fraud?

• Report it to action fraud.
• end all further contact with the fraudsters.
• Don't send them any more money.
• Don't give them your bank details.
• If you have already given the fraudsters your bank account details, alert your bank immediately.
• If you receives any threats from the fraudsters once you have stopped co operating with them, alert the police immediately.
• Be aware that you are now likely to be a target for other frauds. fraudsters often share details about people they have successfully targeted or approached, using different identities to commit further frauds.
• People who have already fallen victim to fraudsters are particularly vulnerable to the fraud recovery fraud. This is when fraudsters contact people who have already lost money through fraud and claim to be law enforcement officers or lawyers they will advise the victim that they can help them recover their lost money. but request a fee.

• PROTECTION:

• Although there are legitimate companies who make a living by tracking down heirs, they don't do it in this way. If you are asked for a fee for a report, it's very likely to be bogus.
• Letters/documents provided by the fraudsters are generally badly written. Look out for spelling mistakes and poor grammar.
• Beware if you are asked to contact a web mail address. As a rule, legitimate law firms do not use them.
• A legitimate law firm is highly unlikely to pay out an inheritance to someone who isn't entitled to it. Any offer of a payout indicates that someone is up to no good.
• Fraudsters often claim that the person who has died was the victim of a well-publicized incident, such as a plane crash. To add credibility, they may even use the identity of someone who really did die in the incident.
  

4- INSURANCE FRAUD:

Insurance fraud is any act committed with the intent to obtain a fraudulent outcome from an insurance process. This may occur when a claimant attempts to obtain some benefit or advantage to which they are not otherwise entitled, or when an insurer knowingly denies some benefit that is due.
Types of insurance fraud:
a- Stolen car: There are two ways that criminals perpetrate the stolen car insurance fraud scam. The first type of stolen car fraud is when a car owner sells his car to a body shop to be cut up for parts and then reports the car as stolen. The body shop is in on the fraud. So the authorities are never told about the sale for parts.
The second most common way that the criminals commit stolen car fraud is to sell the car to an overseas buyer, make the transaction without any paperwork, ship the car overseas and then report it stolen.
b- Car accident: The next time you see a car accident, you could be watching insurance fraud in action. In most cases, the driver and accident victim are the only ones in on the scheme. in other cases, the driver, victim, insurance investigators and even some of the bystanders that give statements are in on the fraud. The value of the Vachel's is greatly inflated and the insurance payoff is for two totaled Vachel's.
c- Health insurance Billing Fraud: Unfortunately, health care professionals will sometimes get in on the insurance fraud act. Health insurance fraud is for health care providers to bill health insurance companies a high fee for a standard procedure, or to bill for services that were never rendered.
For example: you may go in for a regular check-up but your doctor decides to bill your insurance company  for an in-office surgical procedure that never happened. The patient is the victim of fraud and does not even know it.
d- Unnecessary Medical Procedure: If it seems like your doctor is ordering you to go for un necessary testing, then you may be the victim of insurance fraud. If you go to the doctor for a sore arm but your doctor orders a series of blood tests that have nothing to do with your arm, then that could be a common form of insurance fraud.
e- Staged Home Fires: Home owners insurance fraud costs insurance companies and their customers
 billions of dollars each year. One of the most common form of homeowners insurance fraud is the staged fire or act of vandalism. This can be done in one or two ways. The home owner either removes important family items before the fraud takes place, or the homeowner makes sure that the insurance company knows the value of the expensive items and then has them destroyed.
 In almost every case of a staged home fire, the homeowner is not home and can account for his where abouts when the event took place. Criminals are hired to set fire to the home, or break in and vandalize the home to make it look like the home owner was victimize.
f- Storm Fraud: Criminals will take advantage of any situation to commit insurance fraud, including a major storm. A common form of fraud that happens in the wake of major storms is homeowners will either enhance the storm damage to their home to get more of a settlement, or the home owner will take advantage of how busy the insurance company is and call in a claim even if there was no storm damage.
g- Faked Death: This form of insurance fraud is so common that it has been the plot of many movies, television shows and books. A criminal will take out a life insurance policy on himself and make his spouse the beneficiary. After the policy has been in effect for several months, the insured criminal company is out the death benefit.
h- Renter's Insurance: People who rent homes or apartments will often take out inexpensive renter's insurance policies to cover the cost of their possessions. Prior to moving out of the home or apartment or when financial times get bad, the insured will sell their possessions and then report them stolen to collect the insurance money. 

• What to do if you suspect fraud?

If you  suspect you are being set up, capture details of the scene and inform the authorities.

1. If you have been in a car accident and witnesses shoe up suddenly, use your phone's camera to snap photos of the people, car damage and license plates, scafidi says. "First and foremost, inform your insurance company about what didn't look right and follow their advice," he say. "It may help them put a picture together for other activity they are seeing in the region."
2. Call the National Crime Bureau.
3. Contact your state insurance regulator to report suspicions.

5- LOVE SCAM: A love scam is a confidence trick involving feigned romantic intentions towards a victim, gaining their affection, and then using that goodwill to commit fraud.

Fraudulent acts may involve access to victim's money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports, e-mail accounts, or national identification numbers or by getting the victims to commit financial fraud on their behalf.

*GENDER AND AGE DEMOGRAPHICS OF VICTIMS OF ON LINE LOVE SCAM IN 2011.

• 12 classic signs of a love scam:

1. The scammer readily shows pictures of himself/herself this happens even within hours or days of the chat. Most of such pictures may be shot with models or friends or accomplices of the scammer.
2. If the scammer poses as a woman, he/she will be sending you photos of herself/himself dressed scantily, in provoking poses.
3. The scammer declares love very quickly. Within a span of days, which is often impossible even in a physical, real-relationship.
4. Emails from the scammer are generic and often not addressed to you by name. This is an indication of the scammer sending such emails to a number of his/her victims.
5. Often you receive parcels bought by the scammer to your place. The scammer requests you to mail it to the address mentioned by him/her. If the goods are stolen stuff, the victim is into great trouble.
6. Most love/romance scammers declare that they are citizens of the U.S. or U.K. living/travelling in Africa or Russian for a particular cause.
7. The scammer generally takes  more time (than the victim) to respond to chats, This is an indication that the scammer is simultaneously chatting with allot of victims.
8. Money comes into the scene very early. As soon as the scammer gets to know the victim's interest in the relationship, he/she asks the victim to help with advance money (which they promise to payback soon) to meet the victim, seek medical help, buy leave or for some other reasons.
9. The scammer tells alot of facts that are not true. For instance, if a Russian woman is the abject of the victim's affections, she will tell you that it is very difficult for Russian woman to get visa to the U.S.
10. Money transfer, for most of the time, will be requested via western Union or Money gram instead of checks, money orders etc.
11. If you send gifts, the scammer will never send photos holding your gift. This is because, they will never want to reveal their original identity.
12. Excuses. The scammer will give every other excuse for not giving their land line numbers or physical addresses.

• PROTECTION:

When chatting to potential dates on line, be very careful if:

• You get an immediate response (within 15 minutes) every time you send a message, with no discussion before hand as to when you will be on line.
• Their messages are vague, poorly written, repetitive and do not say much about you personally.
  
• Email messages change in tone, language, style or grammar over the course of the communication. This could evolve over time, or it could be apparent in just one email.
• Their messages start professing feelings very on in the relationship, before they really get to know you.
• The person sharers a sob story early on that quickly becomes an emergency- and only you can help.
• They are a 31-year-old, attractive, Christian female, of mixed ethnicity looking for an older male or a 58- year old professional male looking for a younger companion.
• They start talking about financial issues in their messages- perhaps putting you off your guard by claiming to be wealthy but then talking about a particular financial crises.
• They ask you to send money overseas.

6- PARCEL SCAM: 

The parcel mule scam, also known as the reshipping scam, involves scammers and unsuspecting victims handling goods to other countries. In some ways it is similar to the  money mule scam. Scammers use fake advertising to hire mules.

Example: One famous scam was organised under the "Air Parcel Express" corporate name. Criminals purchased items in the United States and sent them via mules Russia and Belarus, where they were sold. Items include ipods, PlayStations, smart phones and laptops.

• PROTECTION:

Here are eight policies companies can use to help fight parcel theft in the work place:

1. Perform an unannounced audit of your parcel carrier's invoices for personal shipments. Requesting electronic invoices from your carriers is the best way to do this. If your organisation ships more than 100 packages per day, you should use a database application such as MS Access, Oracle, or SQL server to analyse billing files. These systems perform complex queries on sender names, origins, destinations, and other fields that may lead to recognising employee theft. You can also search reference fields for eBay item numbers- a sure sign of misuse unless your company uses eBay for business reasons. IF your company ships fewer than 100 packages per day, importing invoices to a spreadsheet is sufficient. Sort the data by destination names to find unrecognised destinations, which often signal unauthorised shipments. The winter holiday season is the best time of year to perform a personal shipment audit because most employee theft occurs between Nov.15 and Dec.31.
2. Request electronic copies of your parcel trailer manifests. Compare the manifests to the shipped orders in your customer service system, and look for discrepancies. This offers an easy trail to investigate.
3. Test your safeguarding measures. You may be surprised by the holes you find in your theft prevention system. Once you find the vulnerabilities, you can improve your safety measures.
4. Establish an anonymous tip line. This can be a successful tool for catching employee theft, Co- workers are often willing to provide information about a suspicious employee if they know they won't be identified.
5. Conduct unannounced in-house audits. The fear of getting caught should maximise the effectiveness of in-house audits. Workers are less likely to steal if they don't know when they will be checked.
6. Screen employees before hiring. Because you can't watch an employee's every move, make sure you at least know who you are hiring. Employee screening is essential. Once you have checked applicats' backgrounds and hired the most qualified, trustworthy people, educate them about company policies on parcel theft.
7. Introduce an employee ethics program. Be sure it defines employee theft and its punishments. Promote honesty and encourage employees to use the anonymous tip line.
8. Enforce severe punishment. IF parcel fraud can't be prevented, delinquents must be caught and punished. Enforcing punishment makes it known that your company does not tolerate theft.

Whether it's shipping a personal package on the company dime, changing label to send packages to friends. or stealing a truckload of company merchandise. Parcel fraud in the workplace is serious and expensive.

• How to protect yourself from fraudsters?

1. Never give out contact details or financial information to strangers or to businesses that should already know your details.
2. Never send money to someone you don't know.
3. Walk away from job adverts that ask for money in advance.
4. Shred anything containing your personal or bank details- don't just bin it.
5. Check bank and credit card statements regularly and let your banks know immediately if there are any entries you don't recognise.
6. Often, you can't get lost money back, particularly if you have handed over cash. If you have paid by credit card you have more protection, and if you used debit card you may be able to ask your bank for a charge back.
7. You can report a fake company to Trading Standards through the citizens advice consumer service, or find  on line advices.
8. You can also report scams to Action Fraud.

CONCLUSION: 

Nowadays commercial crimes are very common everywhere. Many people are involved in commercial crimes and many people are facing big losses because of these crimes. we can't stop these crimes but we have to take some steps to protect ourselves from these crimes.  

REFRENCES:

1. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/watupman/undergrad/owsylves/page3.html
2. http://netpatrol.org/how-to-avoid-online-frauds_12-classic-signs-of-a-love-scam_183.html
3. http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scams/scam-types/dating-and-romance-scams
4. http://www.ccid.my/en/crimes/