Ungaphendula kanjani ‘esihlotsheni esisenkingeni’ imikhonyovu

Bengishayela ekhaya ngoMgqibelo ku-110 Freeway ngesikhathi umculo emsakazweni uphazanyiswa ucingo. Inombolo evezwe kudeshibhodi yami yayingu-(111) 111-1111 – imbumbulu esobala. Bekufanele ngiyiyeke iqonde kuvoyisimeyili, kodwa ngesizathu esithile ngiphendule.

“Baba, kuzomele ungisize!” kusho izwi elincane futhi elicishe lihlaselwe. “Ngicela ungisize!”

Akuzwakali njengawo womabili amadodana ami, kodwa owayefona wayecasuke kakhulu, ngangingaqiniseki. “Ngubani lo?” Ngibuzile.

“Baba, kunjalo mina! Ngidinga usizo!” kuphendula lowo owayefona, kodwa kwavela izwi elihlukile, elidala, libuza ukuthi ngizoyisiza yini ingane yami. Uma kungenjalo, uthe wayesekulungele ukufaka inhlamvu ebuchosheni bengane.

Ngangiqinisekile ukuthi ingane ekhalayo kwakungeyona indodana yami endala. Futhi ngangazi kahle ukuthi yayikuphi indodana yami encane, ngakho ngangiqinisekile ukuthi kwakungeyena futhi. Kodwa lapho ngicela ubufakazi bokuthi lona kwakungumntwana wami ngempela, indoda endala eyayishaye ucingo yangisongela ngokuthi izongithumelela iminwe yengane.

Wangiphusha ukuba ngenze isinqumo: Kuphakathi kokuthi ngivume ukusiza (wayengakafaki inani lentengo kukho), noma ngivalelise futhi ngithumele ingane yami enqoleni eseningizimu yomngcele, lapho kwakulindelwe izinto ezesabekayo ezingachazeki. Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi ngase ngabona ukuthi ucingo luwumkhonyovu. Ngivalelise.

Kwakuyisinqumo esilula futhi esilungile, nokho kwakusakhathaza. Umkami wangena nendodana yami endala, yathi iphilile futhi ucingo lwalungamanga. Indodana yami encane yaphuma ekuthembiseni umshado esikhathini esingaphezudlwana kwehora kamuva.

Umfutho wami wegazi wabuyela esimweni esivamile esikhathini esithile ngemva kwalokho.

Indlela umkhonyovu osebenza ngayo

U-Erik Arbuthnot, i-ejenti ekhethekile ku-FBI, uthe lolu hlobo “lokuthumba okungokoqobo ukuze uhlenge” ngokuvamile luwumsebenzi weziboshwa ezisemajele angaphandle. Bebehlukumeza abakhuluma iSpanishi e-United States iminyaka kwaze kwaba, ngo-2015, umsebenzi wanda ngosizo lweziboshwa ezikhuluma isiNgisi eMexico, kusho u-Arbuthnot. Manje, uthe, abathumbi mbumbulu bashayela izinkulungwane zezingcingo ezibandayo eziya e-US besuka kumabhayela angaphandle nsuku zonke, benethemba lokushaya ucingo lothile onengane noma isihlobo esincane.

Lezi zinhlelo zokuqola izingcingo zisebenza kanje: Lapho uphendula ucingo, lowo ofonayo uzoklabalasa noma akhale ngokuthi, “Mama, Baba, ngisize!” Ofonayo uthembele kuwena ukuthi uzodalula igama lengane ocabanga ukuthi isenkingeni, kusho u-Arbuthnot. Umshayi ucingo ube esedlulisela ucingo kumuntu wesibili, osabisa ngokubulala, ukukhubaza noma ukuletha ingane yakho enkampanini yezinkampani ngaphandle kokuthi uthumele imali ngokushesha.

Laba baculi abakhohlisayo bavamise ukufuna amadola angamakhulu ambalwa kuphela esihlengo, kusho u-Arbuthnot, abazofuna ukuthunyelwa nge-Western Union noma nge-Moneygram. Amanani aphansi uma kuqhathaniswa ngoba imithetho yase-US yokukhwabanisa imali ivimbela amanani amakhulu ukuthi angaxhunywanga kwamanye amazwe. Kodwa abakwa-scammers bayakwenza lokho ngokukhipha ubugebengu babo ngobuningi.

Ngaphandle kokuzenzisa ocingweni, abakhohlisi benza okuncane okumangalisayo ukuvala amathrekhi abo. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi vele basejele futhi abesabi ukushushiswa e-US, kusho u-Arbuthnot.

Abakhwabanisi batshela izisulu zabo e-California ukuthi zithumele imali e-Mexico, besebenzisa igama lomuntu wangempela oxhumene nejele kodwa okungenzeka angahlakaniphi kumuntu okhohlisayo, kusho u-Arbuthnot. Lowo muntu uyobe esehambisa imali ejele ukuze athole inkokhelo encane. Umgomo uwukuqoqa imali ngokushesha nje lapho ifika, ngaphambi kokuba isisulu sibambe futhi sizame ukumisa ukukhokha.

“Ngokushesha lapho seliqoqwa,” kusho yena, “lihambile.”

Okufanele ukwenze

Uma uthola ucingo olufana nalolu, iseluleko se-FBI silula: Vala ucingo bese ulandelela indodana noma indodakazi yakho ukuze uqinisekise ukuthi ucingo beluwumkhonyovu. Kulungile uma ungayitholi ingane yakho ngaso leso sikhathi futhi kufanele weqe amanye ama-hoops engeziwe ukuze uqiniseke – esimweni esingenakwenzeka ukuthi bekuyisidingo sesihlengo sangempela, umthumbi uzoqhubeka efona, kusho u-Arbuthnot.

Isibalo sokuthunjwa kwangempela ngenjongo yesihlengo sincipha ngenani lalezo ezingelona iqiniso, wengeza. Okunye “okungavamile” ukuthunjwa kwezingane eziphuma esikoleni, esho, futhi labo bathumbi ngeke bakubize ngoba bengafuni imali.

UMnyango Wezwe waseNew York usikisela ukuzama ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ungubani isihlobo esihilelekile ngokubuza lowo oshaye ucingo imibuzo embalwa isihlobo sakho kuphela esingakwazi ukuyiphendula. Uma ubheka ukuthi mingaki imininingwane abantu ababelana ngayo ngabo ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, nokho, lokho kungase kungabi indlela engenangqondo yokukhipha imikhonyovu, kuxwayisa uSorin Mihailovici, umsunguli we Umtshina womkhonyovu.

Umuntu owangifonela wazenza ingane yami akazange asebenzise igama noma aphakamise ubulili, elinde ukuthi ngigcwalise lezo zikhala. Ngazibuza ukuthi ngabe ngangingamphoqa yini owesilisa omdala owayefona ukuthi adle isandla sakhe ngokumkhohlisa ukuthi asho okuthile okusobala ukuthi kungamanga – isibonelo, ngokubuza ukuthi ubeyibambephi indodakazi yami – kodwa ngisola ukuthi ubezobe esekulungele lokho.

Umkami wanikeza umbono ongcono: Nikeza amadodana ami umushwana oyimfihlo ukuze asho ukuthi abeludinga ngempela yini usizo oluphuthumayo, futhi ungalokothi utshele omunye umuntu ukuthi luyini. Kodwa-ke kuzofanele sonke sikhumbule ukuthi kuyini.

Izikimu ezifanayo

Eminye imikhonyovu ehlobene nezinkinga isebenzisa amasu ayisisekelo afanayo kodwa ngaphandle kosongo lodlame oluseduze. Umgomo uwukukwenza uthuke futhi, ngaphambi kokuba ube nethuba lokucabangisisa ngalesi simo, thola imali.

Isibonelo esisodwa “umkhonyovu wogogo nomkhulu,” lapho umuntu omdala ezothola ucingo oluvela kothile ethi umzukulu wakhe udinga usizo ngokushesha – mhlawumbe ukuze akhishwe ejele noma aphuthunyiswe esibhedlela ngendiza ngemva kokuphahlazeka kwemoto.

Laba bakhwabanisi bangase bacebise izandla zabo ngokufuna indlela yokukhokha engenangqondo kumongo. U-Arbuthnot uthe kukhona abakhwabanisi abafuna amakhadi esipho esikhokhelwa ngaphambili; kwesinye isikhathi, umkhohlisi ozenza umenzeli we-FBI ubefuna ukukhokhelwa kumakhadi we-Google Play. “I-FBI ayilokothi icele abantu imali, futhi uma senze njalo, ngeke ibe kumakhadi we-Google Play,” esho.

Akuwona wonke umkhonyovu ohlobene nezinkinga obandakanya izingcingo ezibandayo. Abanye abakhohlisi bazokwenza ucwaningo ngezisulu zabo kuqala, “bese befona ngezizathu ezibambekayo befuna umvuzo,” kusho uMihailovici. Amaqola angase futhi akhethe okuhlosiwe ngokuthenga “uhlu lwabaphambili” kuwebhu emnyama yabantu abaye bawela ngemikhonyovu esikhathini esidlule, kusho u-Arbuthnot.

Imithombo yezokuxhumana yenza umsebenzi wokuqoqa imininingwane yomuntu ube lula, kusho uMihailovici. Abakhwabanisi bangakwazi ukuhlonza abazali noma ogogo nomkhulu ku-Facebook, bathole izinombolo zabo zomakhalekhukhwini ku-inthanethi, bese “bakha izingxoxo ezisabisayo ngokwezifiso besebenzisa igama lezingane, ukuze izisulu zikholelwe ngempela ukuthi abakhohlisi banezingane zabo.”

“Baphonsa olunye ulwazi lomuntu siqu (nabo oluqoqwe ku-Facebook), njengezinto ezithile ezithandwa yizingane, izingubo ezivelele, izinwele zezinwele noma ezinye izimpahla abanazo, bese bependa isithombe esingakholeka kakhulu kubazali/omkhulu. Yilapho-ke bekhokha ngocingo, noma baphisane ngezabo [credit card] izinombolo.”

I-Federal Trade Commission yaphawula ngonyaka odlule ukuthi ama-scammers aseqalile ukuqoqa imali mathupha, belandelela izingcingo zabo ngokuthumela ummeleli emzini wesisulu. Isizathu esisodwa, u-Arbuthnot uthe, ukuthi ukukhishwa kwesandla komuntu siqu kungabandakanya inani elikhulu kakhulu lemali eqoqwe ama-proxies (okuvame ukungazi), abe esethumela imali e-US ngezitolimende eziningi. Okunye ukuthi basebenzela kangcono izisulu ezindala ezingenalo ikhono noma ukuthambekela kokuthola ihhovisi laseWestern Union.

Ingcindezi yokuthi uthathe isinyathelo ngokushesha futhi ungaxoxi nanoma ubani ifulege elikhulu elibomvu, i-FTC isho kuwebhusayithi yayo. “Abaqola badlala ngemizwa yakho,” kusho le nhlangano. “Bathembele kuwe ukuthi uzothatha isinyathelo ngokushesha ukuze usize umndeni wakho noma abangani. Futhi bathembele kuwe ukuthi uzokhokha ngaphandle kokuma ukuze uhlole ukuthi sikhona yini isimo esiphuthumayo ngempela. Uma uthola ucingo olufana nalolu, ungaqiniseka ukuthi umkhonyovu lona.”

Okunye ukulunywa indlebe, uMihailovici uthe, yilapho umuntu efuna ukukhokhelwa ngokushesha, wena usocingweni. “Uma bekucela ukuthi ukhokhe MANJE ngocingo, kuwumkhonyovu ongu-100%,” kusho yena. “Kungenxa yokuthi izinkampani ezisemthethweni noma abantu ababiza okwangempela ukuze bakukhumbuze ngezinkokhelo zakho ekugcineni abafuni ukukhokhelwa [the] indawo.”

Uma uyisisulu somkhonyovu

Uma uhlukunyezwe umkhonyovu, kufanele ubike lokho kukhwabanisa ku-FTC ngokusebenzisa ingosi yayo eku-inthanethi kanye naku-FBI. I-FTC iphinde inikeze uhlu lwezinyathelo ongazithatha zama ukubuyisela imali yakho; ukuthi ungakwenza lokho kuncike ekutheni ukhokhe kanjani nokuthi ufune ngokushesha kangakanani ukukhansela inkokhelo.

Ngokwale nhlangano, amabhange nezinkampani zezimali ezikhipha amakhadi esikweletu nawedebithi zingahlehlisa izenzo zomgunyathi. Okufanayo kuya ezinkampanini zokudlulisa imali ezifana ne-Western Union, kodwa kuphela uma wenza ngaphambi kokuba imali iqoqwe. Futhi uma uthumele ukheshi, Isevisi Yeposi yase-US ingase ikwazi ukunqanda iphakheji.

Iyakhokha imali ye-crypto, nokho, kuzokushiyela usizo oluncane, kusho i-FTC. Ngakho-ke, futhi, uzokhokha nge-akhawunti yakho yasebhange nge-Zelle, amabhange ngokuvamile abheka ukudluliswa kwemali okugunyaziwe futhi ngaleyo ndlela. ayibuyiseleki.