Jodie Bernstein Quotations

In short, they sold dream vacations that turned out to be nightmares. Hundreds of unwary consumers got caught in the odious trip trap.

Internet con artists are bad actors without borders.

In short, (operators) lie to consumers, take their money, and turn them into lawbreakers.

It's an old trick dressed up in new electronic garb and a sort of cyberspace jargon.

These scams target very vulnerable people. They prey on people who are plagued by poor credit -- people who may be desperate to develop a clean credit history so they can get a loan, get a job or buy a car.

We want them to know that the borderless Internet marketplace is not a free zone. Together with our partners, we are putting get-rich-quick schemes on notice that we're monitoring the Web and that we intend to take law enforcement action against those that continue to make fraudulent or deceptive claims.

It's an amazing and diverse team. Fraud fighters from the U.K. to Uruguay, from Korea to Kansas, have collected and forwarded information to the FTC on more than 1,600 suspect sites.

We hope Americans continue to use the Internet for truthful information, but we also want them to have their antennas up to be careful about those claims that are exaggerated.

If someone approaches you on the street or on the subway, and flatters you by saying, 'You've got the look that we are looking for,' hold on to your purse strings. You may be on your way to being a victim, not playing a role or posing for pictures.

We don't intend to let a handful of rogues erode consumer confidence in Internet commerce or Internet auctions.