SCARS™ Position Paper: What Will It Take To Stop Scamming?

That Is A Very Complex Question.

You would think that there has to be a simple answer. Indeed, maybe there is?

In looking at online fraud over the last 27 years we have developed a Road Map to End Scamming. Sadly we cannot do it by ourselves.

The SCARS™ Road Map To End Scamming Online

There are several complex transnational problems that must be solved to bring scamming to a full-stop.

However, we first have to define what STOP means in this context.

To stop scamming means that there are no organized cartels or gangs involved in scamming any longer. There may still be a small (less than 1,000) individual scammers working, but law enforcement worldwide can find and arrest them regardless of which country they operate in, and they can be cut off from the internet quickly to minimize harm to others. That is what we mean by stopping!

The effort to make this happen can be done in FIVE PHASES over a period of 4 to 5 years as follow:

The SCARS Stop Scamming Road Map Infographic

PHASE ONE: Major Anti-Scam NGOs Forming An Alliance

The first phase consists of international organizations (NGOs), such as SCARS, forming an alliance and mobilization. SCARS and another major anti-scam NGO will sit down and discuss this in October of this year.

Current Nongovernmental Organizations and small anti-scam groups mobilize and work united in an alliance to establish universal principals for Internet Governance And Policing. This Alliance Against Scams begins aggressive governmental lobbying and advocacy worldwide. It also pulls together victims in large numbers to lend their voice and to exercise its political power on a global scale.

Currently, there are three major nongovernmental bodies operating worldwide with a focus on cybercrime in one form or another (SCARS is one of the three). The three large bodies need to form a union or alliance to combine their political advocacy into a single voice. A good example of this is the International Red Cross / Red Crescent.

There are also hundreds of smaller loosely organized groups (perhaps thousands). Right now it is chaos since each little group is driven by their own egos or vigilantism believing that only they have the solution. These small groups are comprised of victims who are motivated to save all victims, yet lack any significant professionalism, compliance, or understanding of the legal requirements for victims’ assistance. These smaller groups need to fold in under one of the three to become their local chapters or affiliates to be recognized and have any voice at the table.

However, these NGOs need the clout that comes with members. Not necessarily paying members, but members they represent when speaking to governments. Membership in SCARS is free – click here to apply. It will take millions of voices speaking as one before there is enough volume to be heard clearly.

PHASE TWO: Massive International Lobbying And Advocacy

This would begin the phase of Massive International Lobbying And Advocacy with governments of those affected by cybercrime.

It would begin with a major convention-like event, such as the SCARS Conference in Miami, Florida in November 2019. It would bring organizers, advocates, victims, law enforcement, and government together for an event to establish once and for all that this is a major international problem and it must be solved. The goal of such an event would be unanimity and political power. The ability to create a Statement of Principals, a Demand for Government – an “Online Bill of Rights”, and the power to have politicians take it home for enactment in their country.

Once the first major step is complete and the “Online Bill of Rights” is ratified by a minimum of 20 nations, then the next step would move forward for the establishment of a World Governing and Law Creation body – an Internet Governance & Treaty Organization.

PHASE THREE: Internet Governance & Treaty Organization

In this Phase, it is necessary to create a global treaty organization, an Internet Governance & Treaty Organization for creating a worldwide set of laws for the internet. One body already exists in the form of ICANN, but this is an ineffective group with no oversight other than on the domain name system. The world needs a new entity similar to the International Criminal Court in Den Hagg, the Netherlands or the World Trade Organization. Its purpose would be to bring together and harmonize international law regarding the internet.

It would have beneficial aspects too since it could also enforce free speech which is being destroyed by the Internet Giants as we speak. It would have the power to form a Congress Of Representative Nations, who not only vote on the laws that it enforces but also agrees to provide a right of pursuit in their countries and a full measure of local cooperation from their own police agencies. It would be empowered to address all forms of online financial and data theft crimes, as well as online support for real-world crimes, such as terrorism, human trafficking and slavery, and more.

It would only have jurisdiction over crimes that the assembled body could agree upon. It would not address matters that are civil – in other words – only criminal, not lawsuits, etc.

PHASE FOUR: iPOLICE

In the fourth phase, it would be to establish an International Police Force for the Internet – an iPOLICE. It would be their mission to establish bases of operation around the world and apprehend transnational criminals or to assist local national level law enforcement. This iPolice Force would operate from every country that is a member of the governing body. Because of the power of the Internet Governance & Treaty Organization, the iPolice would have jurisdiction throughout the planet to pursue scammers and cybercriminals across all borders. Countries that did not comply would lose access to the Internet. Thus an incredible incentive would exist for cooperation and support for Internet Policing.

PHASE FIVE: Sustained Enforcement & Governance

Once the pieces have been put in place, then the final phase is the Governance And Policing Of The Internet going forward.

When there are no safe havens for scammers and there is an effective policing agency that has the power to cross borders, the scammers will break up and flee. With the ability to go after their financial infrastructure and cut off criminal local access to the Internet, the iPolice will be able to systematically destroy all organized criminal cartels and gangs. What remains will be individual criminals but these can be addressed and investigated with far greater ease both locally and transnationally. By following this plan, within 4 years after the establishment of the IGTO