May 10, 2010

Kent Kerley. Download image.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Two professors in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Justice Sciences have won a Google Research Award to study cyber scams involving the illegal use of the Google brand.

UAB Associate Professor Kent Kerley, Ph.D., and Associate Professor J. Heith Copes, Ph.D., will focus their research on online scams that promise unsuspecting consumers the chance to start their own home-based business - but leave them with bills instead of a paycheck.

"Many fraudsters have begun using Google's name in various 'work-at-home' ads to create the impression that Google is involved," said Kerley. "After paying a 'setup fee' to work at home, victims are automatically signed up for recurring subscriptions to bogus services. Typically victims have only 24 hours to un-enroll, and before they realize it, their credit cards are charged several times. The average victim loses about $300."

J. Heith Copes. Download image.

The number of individuals and businesses operating fraudulent activities using the Google brand appears to be growing, said Copes. Schemes linked to the illegal use of the Google brand have included Google Adwork, Google Biz Kit, Google Cash, Google StartUp Kit and The Home Business Kit for Google.

For their research, Kerley and Copes will use data from the Internet Crime Complaint Center. The two will use the data to track cyber crimes involving the misuse of the Google brand, determine the economic impact on victims, create a demographic profile of victims and document what cyber thieves have promised unsuspecting consumers.

"We will use the results of the study to develop ways to identify these types of crimes more quickly," said Copes. "This could then lead to public service announcements and other educational activities produced by Google to warn consumers about the misuse of its brand and resources."

The study is just one of several research projects to be conducted at UAB through a joint collaboration between UAB Department of Justice Sciences, the Internet Crime Complaint Center and the National White Collar Crime Center.

According to their official guidelines, the Google Research Awards were created to "identify and support world-class, full-time faculty pursuing research in areas of mutual interest."

The Google Research Award further enhances UAB's reputation as a worldwide leader in cyber-crime investigation. Led by researchers working in the UAB Spam Data Mine, the university tracks and analyzes tens of thousands of computer viruses, spam and other threats each week while coordinating its efforts with state and federal investigators in an effort to bring cyber criminals to justice.

About the UAB College of Arts and Sciences

The Department of Justice Sciences is housed in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, home to academic disciplines that include the arts, humanities, sciences ands the School of Education. The college's unique structure advances research such as the UAB Spam Data Mine and learning in both K-12 and higher education, and its courses are taught by a world-class faculty. Committed to the UAB spirit of independence and innovation, the college enables students to design their own majors, participate in undergraduate research or complete graduate degrees on a five-year fast track. Through productive partnerships, flexible curricula and a bold, interdisciplinary approach to learning and teaching, the college is preparing students for success in the ever-changing global marketplace of commerce and ideas.