Posted By:
Dan Mathewson...City police and State Agencies are way different regarding Fraud and Internet Fraud.
You'll probably find that most State Attorneys General are pursuing Internet Fraud quite aggressively. For example, if you go to the Washington State AG Website, you'll see that. They even have a staff of investigators that goes after spammers who misrepresent their products just to get people to open their e-mails (which is only a misdemeanor). I think they just fine the hell outta the illegal Spammers to pay for their staff (which is fine with me).
Washington will actively and aggressively go after fraudulent persons on the Net. And they'll take either advocacy focus (suspect in Washington, or victim in Washington) because the law sees the crime as being committed at both points (just like telephone harassment/threats, etc.)
You are right, though, about local police. They usually don't have the staff/numbers to go after all the check fraud out there. It's like shoplifting. It's so rampant, that most large stores have to hire their own security people to charge shoplifters, and leave the police out of it, unless it's a felony dollar amount.
But, the days are numbered for people who deliberately defraud people on the Net, either through eBay or other venues. It'll be poetic justice to see some people's names in the headlines for that...