Types of Online Fraud
Online fraud takes many forms, but the evidence collection principles remain similar:
- Marketplace scams — Fake sellers on platforms like eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace
- Phishing sites — Websites impersonating legitimate businesses
- Investment fraud — Fake trading platforms, crypto scams, Ponzi schemes
- E-commerce fraud — Fake online stores, counterfeit goods
- Advance fee fraud — Requests for upfront payment with promises of larger returns
- Romance scams — Fraudulent profiles on dating platforms
The Evidence You Need
To successfully report fraud to law enforcement or pursue civil action, you need to document:
1. The Fraudulent Listing/Site
- Full URL of the fraudulent page
- Complete page content (descriptions, images, prices)
- Any trust signals the fraudster used (fake reviews, badges, certifications)
2. Communication Records
- All messages between you and the fraudster
- Email headers showing sender information
- Timestamps of all communications
3. Payment Evidence
- Transaction records
- Payment confirmation pages
- Wallet addresses (for crypto)
- Bank transfer confirmations
4. Fraudster Identity Indicators
- Profile/account pages
- Phone numbers or email addresses used
- Any personal information they shared
- IP addresses (if available from email headers)
Step-by-Step Capture Process
Immediate Actions (First 24 Hours)
1. Do not alert the fraudster
Do not confront them or indicate you know it's a scam. They may delete evidence, close accounts, or create new identities.
2. Capture the fraudulent listing/website
Using TrueSnap:
- Navigate to the fraud page
- Capture the full listing with all details visible
- If multiple pages are involved, capture each separately
- Capture the fraudster's profile page
3. Preserve communications
- Access message threads via web interfaces
- Capture each conversation page
- Include the full thread — don't just capture isolated messages
4. Document payment records
- Capture your bank's transaction page
- Capture any payment confirmation pages
- Screenshot or capture wallet transaction pages (for crypto)
Follow-Up Actions
5. Capture connected evidence
- Other listings by the same seller
- Reviews or feedback they've received
- Similar scam reports from other victims (forums, review sites)
6. Preserve metadata
- Save any emails with full headers
- Note phone numbers, addresses, or other contact details
- Record the timeline of events
Why Forensic Capture Matters for Fraud
Fraud evidence is particularly vulnerable because:
- Listings get removed — Either by the platform or the fraudster
- Accounts get deleted — Scammers regularly cycle through accounts
- Websites disappear — Phishing sites often go offline within hours
- Platforms don't preserve — Most platforms delete data from banned accounts
Without forensic capture:
- You have no proof the listing existed
- You cannot prove what was advertised
- You cannot verify when the fraud occurred
- Law enforcement has nothing to investigate
Reporting with Evidence
To Law Enforcement
Most cyber fraud units accept digital evidence packages. Your forensic capture provides:
- Verified timestamps (when the fraud was active)
- Source verification (proves it was on the claimed platform)
- Integrity proof (evidence hasn't been modified since capture)
To Platforms
When reporting to platforms (eBay, Facebook, etc.), attached forensic evidence strengthens your report and helps their trust & safety teams act faster.
To Financial Institutions
Banks and payment processors processing chargeback claims accept well-documented evidence of fraud. A complete evidence package supports your claim significantly.
Common Fraud Red Flags to Capture
When you suspect fraud, capture these specific indicators:
- Prices significantly below market value
- Pressure to pay outside the platform
- Requests for unusual payment methods (gift cards, crypto, wire transfer)
- Newly created accounts with no history
- Copied product images (reverse image search results)
- Grammar/spelling inconsistencies suggesting foreign operation
- Mismatched contact information
Protecting Others
After securing your evidence:
- Report to the platform
- Report to relevant consumer protection agencies (FTC, Action Fraud, etc.)
- Share warnings in community forums (with your evidence as backing)
- Consider reporting to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for US-based fraud
Your well-documented evidence doesn't just help your case — it helps protect the next potential victim.