This technique is so productive that in fact in one identity theft trial, the charged uncovered the social security numbers and names of military officers, they then used those names and numbers to apply for credit cards over the internet. In another trial, a man stole personal information from an US Agency Website, and then submitted 14 car applications over the internet to an online Florida bank. (Identity Theft and Fraud).
Internet fraud can also be committed through the online investment scheme. The Securities and Exchanges commissions report that there are two basic ways to commit an online investment scheme. The first type of scheme is called the "pump-and-dump", this is where the criminals often create false personal information trying to cause a price increase in unpopular stocks; otherwise known as the "pump". They then immediately sell their stocks to make a profit before the stock falls back down to its original price. The people, who buy the stock, unknowing of the scheme, become victimized once the price falls. (Internet Fraud).
The second type of scheme is "scalping", this scheme is similar to the "pump-and-dump" in that, by creating false personal information the accused are trying decrease the value of a particular stock. One example of this is, in one trial in the U.S., a "day-trader" supposedly spread more than twenty a fake press releases saying that a popular internet and communications company, Lucent Technologies, Inc., would fail to meet its level of quarterly earnings that was expected of them. The man supposedly sold around six thousand shares of Lucent's company stock the same exact day that he spread the false press release. Allegedly, the false reports sent the price per share down 3.6 percent and put the company's worth by at least $7 billion. (Mrozek).
Different examples of internet investment schemes may merge typical uses of the internet with original promotion technology similar to telemarketing in hopes to reach the masses of people to victimize.
