Prof. Jorij Abraham on the frontlines of combating online scams
Prof. Jorij Abraham on the frontlines of combating online scams
The fight against online scams is more crucial than ever. In an exclusive interview with Prof. Jorij Abraham, Managing Director of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), we explore the current state of online fraud and what can be done to combat these increasingly sophisticated threats.
Prof. Jorij Abraham, a key figure in combating online scams, has been instrumental in the international eCommerce community since 1997. With extensive experience as the Director of Research & Advice at Thuiswinkel.org and the European Ecommerce Association, Abraham is now at the forefront of global efforts to protect consumers from online fraud through the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA).
Experience with online scamsInterviewer: Jorij, you have extensive experience in combating online scams. Have you ever fallen victim to a scam email yourself?Prof. Jorij Abraham: Yes, I believe everyone has at some point. We’re all busy, and with the constant expectation of deliveries, it’s easy to make a quick, wrong click on a phishing email.
The launch of GASA: a global initiative to combat online scams
Interviewer: Last year, you launched GASA. What was the motivation behind it, and how does it connect with your other projects like Scamadviser.com?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is a non-profit organization that unites governments, law enforcement, consumer protection agencies, financial authorities, and businesses to combat online scams. One of our key solutions is ScamAdviser, a platform that helps over 4 million consumers monthly verify whether a website is legitimate. We analyze over 1 million new domains each month, sharing this data with law enforcement, brand protection agencies, and other partners to prevent consumers from falling victim to scams.
Centralizing scam reporting
Interviewer: If you could recommend one anti-scam policy for every country, what would it be?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: To effectively combat online scams, we need to centralize scam reporting. Currently, consumers often don’t know where to report scams, and the process can be cumbersome. By centralizing and simplifying this process, and sharing the data internationally, we can make scammers more visible and enable faster action against them.
Improving communication in the fight against online scams
Interviewer: It seems that communication between anti-scam organizations is often lacking. Have there been any improvements in this area?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: Yes, but progress is slow. Authorities in the United States and Australia are starting to collaborate more, and there is a bit more international cooperation than there was a few years ago. However, we’re still in the early stages of what needs to be a global effort in combating online scams.
Collaboration with Domain Crawler: strengthening the fight against scams
Prof. Jorij Abraham: Cooperation is essential. We already receive infringing domain reports from many brands and share this information with our data partners, including law enforcement and big tech companies. This collaboration allows us to quickly block fraudulent websites and warn consumers, effectively playing whack-a-mole with scammers in our shared mission of combating online scams.
Understanding victim behavior in online scams
Interviewer: Fraud comes in many forms. Is there a common denominator among scams?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: Scams are unique because they rely on the victim’s compliance, which makes them different from other crimes. Victims often feel ashamed or think they were foolish, but they’re not. Studies show that even highly educated people fall for scams. We must eliminate the stigma around being scammed and encourage reporting to win this battle.
Scammers’ technology and tactics
Interviewer: What technologies are scammers using, and which ones do they avoid?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: Scammers aren’t using high-end software like Salesforce or SAP, but they are becoming more professional. Some have developed entire platforms to easily replicate scams across multiple domains. In one instance, we measured that a site was taken down, and within 3.5 minutes, a new one was up. This shows the need for automation in our responses—manual efforts alone won’t suffice.
The growing sophistication of scams
Interviewer: Scammers are becoming more sophisticated. Are anti-scam technologies keeping up?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: Unfortunately, we’re lagging behind. The World Economic Forum reports that only 0.05% of all scammers are prosecuted. Scammers currently have more resources, experience, and money than law enforcement. To turn the tide, we must significantly increase investment in anti-scam technologies.
Cryptocurrency and ponzi schemes
Interviewer: Cryptocurrency is a hot topic. How can investors distinguish legitimate companies from Ponzi schemes?
Prof. Jorij Abraham: We advise investors to only invest in companies based in their own country that have been legally verified by their financial authorities. While this doesn’t eliminate all risks, it provides a level of legal protection and recourse if things go wrong.
The Global Anti Scam Summit 2022
Interviewer: Please tell us more about the Global Anti Scam Summit held in The Hague in November 2022.
Prof. Jorij Abraham: The 3rd Global Anti Scam Summit (GASS) took place on November 9th and 10th, 2022. The event aimed to facilitate knowledge sharing among governments, financial authorities, law enforcement, and commercial organizations on fighting online scams. In 2021, we hosted nearly 500 virtual guests from over 70 countries. This year, we adopted a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation.
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