With the advance of technology, people will surely try to make the best use of it to support their survival in this digital era. Nowadays, many businesses across the world are turning digital, so business marketing becomes wider through the virtual.
Just like offline businesses, which are full of risks like bankruptcy and loss of capital, running a business digitally is also inseparable from crimes such as data fraud, website hacking, online transaction fraud, and many more. Well, internet and website security, as well as legal protection, are needed for this case.
Thanks to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), you can report various internet crimes to the IC3 portal. When reporting suspected cybercrime, you may need to provide some personal information. Then, you may wonder what happens when you file a complaint with IC3. Okay, here’s everything you need to know about it!
What Happens After You File a Complaint with IC3?
Filing a complaint with IC3 will usually be performed if you find any illegal activity involving the internet, such as a website, email, or even a chat room. Each complaint submitted will help IC3 gather data on cybercrime in an effort to develop cybersecurity best practices and share cybercrime awareness with the public.
It’s important to know that IC3 does not conduct investigations into any cybercrime that you’ve submitted. The IC3 staff will review and analyze the information that you provide in a complaint. Then, they will assess the nature of the crime, whether it is urgent, severe, or ordinary.
In this case, IC3 acts as a central hub to collect and forward information regarding cybercrime. Well, since the complaint submitted falls within the jurisdiction of another law enforcement agency, IC3 will refer your complaint to the appropriate agency.
However, if IC3 considers the complaint falls within their jurisdiction and meets the criteria for further investigation, they may conduct their own investigation or cooperate with other law enforcement agencies. It is known that IC3 partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).
After filing a complaint with IC3, they will not inform you of any updates on the status of specific complaints because of the large volume they receive. Instead, they will contact you for further information or clarification if your complaint has significant developments.
Submitting a complaint with IC3 does not mean you can get direct damages or forward information to your credit card company. They instead serve to collect and review complaints and identify patterns in internet crime to help law enforcement agencies in their investigations.
How to Protect Yourself or Businesses from any Cybercrimes?
Even though cybercrime continues to occur and is pretty hard to overcome due to the increased sophistication of the technology criminals use, preventing and fighting it is a must. However, protecting your business from cybercrime really needs a combination of preventive measures and cautionary online behavior.
Thankfully! The FBI has some suggestions for protecting yourself or your business from cybercrimes. Here they are:
- Make sure to use a strong and unique password when you create your online account.
- Add an extra layer of security by activating the Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
- Always keep your device and software updated, and never give an unverified person remote access to your devices or your account.
- Always change all your passwords regularly.
- Run the latest virus scanner software to check on some potential malicious software.
- Install some ad-blocker programs to protect your device from malware threat.
- Set a strong password to secure your home network.
- Regularly back up your data.
- Be careful about the personal information you share on social media platforms.
- Keep in mind that legitimate support personnel will not require unsolicited contact.
- Be cautious of customer contact that you find on web searches.
- Stay informed about the newest cyber threats and scams.
- Don’t panic when there are threats from criminals since they will usually urge the victim to provide personal information quickly.
What Should You Provide When Filing a Complaint with IC3?
When submitting a complaint, you’ll be required to provide the information requested on the complaint form, such as the victim’s contact information, financial information, the business’s information, including its website, email name, IP address, and specific details about the cybercrime you’re experiencing.
In addition, you also need to provide any relevant evidence regarding the cybercrime, including:
- Canceled checks
- Receipts
- Pamphlets or brochures
- Copies of emails
- Hard drive images
- PCAP files contain host systems, malicious network traffic, copies of malware, security appliance logs, chat transcripts, and/or telephony logs.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
