Cyber Terrorisme

Introduction

Cyber terrorism can be defined as “ the use of computers as weapons, or as targets, by politically motivated international, or sub-national groups, or clandestine agents who threaten or cause violence and fear in order to influence an audience, or cause a government to change its policies" (Wilson, n.d.). There are a lots of cyber terrorism types that are attacking users and governments today such as hacking, Trojan attacks, virus and worm attacks,  email spoofing, malicious codes in emails and denial of service (DOS) attack (Heidari, 2010).

Credit : cyberlawsinindia.blogspot.com

Why Cyber Terrorism increased?

But why the numbers of cyber terrorism are increasing everyday? The main reason why cyber terrorism is gaining popularity is because the terrorist doesn't need any explosive or even high tech machine to attack the victim. They just need to deliver viruses using current technology such as telephone, cable or wireless network. This will definitely help them to become more anonymous and less the risk of getting caught by the authorities.When they have the ability to become 'invisible' from the authorities, numbers of attackers on certain target will increased. Critical infrastructures such as banks, hospitals and government portals are usually the main targets (massivedynamics, 2010).


Example of Cases

In March 1997, a teenage hacker had attacked a telephone company computer that providing service to the Worcester Airport in Massachusetts. The attacker causing a lot of damage to the Worcester Airport by cutting off the service to the airport control tower, fire department, security, and weather service for six hours (massivedynamics, 2010).


51 gov.my websites or governments portals had been attack by of a foreign-based hacker group, Anonymous on June 16,2011. Although prevention actions were claimed to have been taken by the Malaysian government, this has exposed Malaysia’s inability to fight cyber attacks (Goan, 2011).

Credit : www.bolehvpn.net

Effects of Terrorism

We can see that cyber terrorism can weaken the country economy. If the country are known for vulnerability of cyber attacks, investors will be reluctant to invest in that particular country. This is because it can effect their business. Automatically, the country economy also will be effected (massivedynamics, 2010).

Telecommunication system is very important and crucial in our life today. As shown in Cases Example on Worcester Airport, hacking a telecommunication system could leads to death. For example, if the Control Tower cannot communicate with planes, it could make the planes collide with each other. This shows how cyber terrorism could impact our daily life (massivedynamics, 2010).




Prevention

As a user of information technology, public can avoid or prevent cyber terrorism by beware of mail attachments. Most cases of cyber attacks on users started from email. Normally, attackers will use email as a method to send virus and worms. Use virus scanners or delete any emails form unknown sender. Using an anti virus software also will help users for being attack. This is because it will scan files in the computer and monitor irregular activities so users will have less chance of being attacked (Heidari, 2010).

 Credit : findasoft.com

In order to fight cyber terrorism, Malaysian government have created an entity which is  CyberSecurity Malaysia. It is the national cyber security specialist agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). ICT security and threats monitoring to the national security will be done by CyberSecurity Malaysia (CyberSecurity Malaysia, 2013).

Credit: forum.cili.ws

References

CyberSecurity Malaysia, 2013. Corporate Information. [Online]
Available at: http://www.cybersecurity.my/en/about_us/brief_detail/main/detail/729/index.html
[Accessed 2013].

Goan, L. S., 2011. The Malaysian Insider. [Online]
Available at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/cyber-terrorism-lim-sue-goan
[Accessed 17 June 2011].

Heidari, M., 2010. Forms of Cyber Terrorism. [Online]
Available at: http://maryamheidari.blogspot.com/2010/04/forms-of-cyber-terrorism.html
[Accessed 24 April 2010].

massivedynamic, 2010. What Is Cyber Terrorism?. [Online]
Available at: http://massivedynamic.hubpages.com/hub/What-Is-Cyber-Terrorism
[Accessed 13 September 2010].

Wilson, C., n.d. Computer Attack and Cyberterrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for Congress. [Online]
Available at: http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/computerattack.htm
[Accessed 1 April 2005].

Cyber Terror: Why we should act now

Wednesday February 27, 2013

THE advent of an information age and resurgence of terrorism across the globe has world leaders reshuffling counter-terrorism efforts to match recent threats of “Cyber-terrorism”.
Unfortunately, not much is being done in Malaysia despite recent events which have revealed the coun­­­try’s cyber security vulnerability.

Take for instance the incident early this year where unknown hacker(s) altered the contents of the Information Department’s official website.

This was not the only incident. Two other incidents were reported in 2011, one where a notorious hacker group (Anonymous) took credit for hacking 50 government websites in response to the Govern­ment’s efforts to block major online file sharing entity (Pirate Bay) and an open source whistleblower website (Wikileaks), and the other was when a group of unknown hackers (believed to be angered fans) defaced the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) website to show their discontent over the hike in ticket prices.

There was minimal response from the national cyber security agencies in these events and there was no reported apprehension nor were there reports of ongoing investigations.
As these were not catastrophic attacks per se, it is naïve to think that such attacks will not evolve over time.

Such attacks hold specific appeal on a cost benefit analysis and weighs towards maximum amplification of catastrophic damage compared with classical attempts to cause chaos.
With the continuous evolution and sophistication of cyber weaponry, it is worrying to see the future of this country darkened by continuous threats of such incidents.

The National Cyber Security Policy which was reformed in 2006 after a study by the Science, Technology and Innovation Minis-try has been cited as the primary defence against cyber threats in the country.

Even though policy drivers have taken action in enforcing the provisions of each separate thrust, it is still not fulfilling its primary objective, which is to protect Malaysia’s cyber environment from current and imminent threats.

According to MyCERT which is a cyber-response and research centre established by Cyber Security Malay-sia, the number of cyber incidents are continuously rising every year.
The threats are now at an alarming level as significant growth has been observed in both volume and sophistication of cyber attacks, with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and system intrusions appearing more rampant than ever.

This, along with recent implication of terrorist activity concerning Malaysians on national soil and foreign constituencies, will only increase the country’s exposure to such threats.
If matters are to be let loose by authorities at this pivotal moment, continuous reliance on interconnected networks may even lead to the prospect of devastating hybrid attacks which include the combination of both cyber and physical attacks that amplifies damage.


Reference

Ram, R., 2013. Cyber Terror: Why we should act now. [Online]
Available at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/27/focus/12764835&sec=focus

 


Blogger's Opinion

In my opinion, Malaysia should improve their cyberspace security quickly as possible. This is because we can see that a lot of Malaysian Government portal are being attacked by hackers lately. Malaysia must improve both cyber laws and people with capabilities to overcome cyber terrorism in the government sector. If our government portal were so easily and frequently penetrated by hackers, this will shows that Malaysia cyber defenses system is weak and penetrable. Automatically, this will attract more hackers or terrorist to do more threats on Malaysia. All Malaysian Government secret's can easily be sold to other countries, if the government do not take any action now to improve our security system.

How to improve our cyber security system?  The government must take an initiative to encourage more people to join into cyber security especially the younger generations. They can encourage them by giving scholarships for student to enroll in courses that related to cyber security. The government also can hire hackers to work for the government by giving an attractive offer such as full pardon or high income to them. This will increase the number of 'elite soldiers' on the government side. Government also can frequently do 'hacking competition with attractive prizes' in Malaysia. This is to know how does hackers penetrated into the system so more improvement on the system can  be done. In this competition, the government can recruit any potential hackers to become the cyber police for the government. We also can collect data of participants for future reviews.

The cyber law itself must be amended and enforced quickly. Amendment on each law must be done frequently coherent with the current technology capabilities. This is because cyber technology are evolving everyday. Government should always spread the cyber law to the public. This will help our cyber security to improve in the future.

Introduction of Cyber Law Acts in Malaysia

Just like other countries, Malaysia also is also involved in evolution of technology. Internet has become a necessities for everybody in business, communicate socializing and many more. Despite being a positive tool for users, there are some of irresponsible people that are using internet in negative way such as online fraud, identity theft, virus attack and hacking. Therefore, Malaysian government has already taking a big step to overcome these problems by introducing a few acts of law that can be used for cyber crimes.

These are a list of statutes in Malaysia regarding the Cyber law (Zulhuda, n.d.).

• Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 
• Computer Crimes Act 1997
• Copyright Act (Amendment)1997
• Digital Signature Act 1997
• Electronic Commerce Act 2006 
• Electronic Government Activities Act 2007 
• Payment Systems Act 2003 
• Personal Data Protection Act 2010
• Telemedicine Act 1997
• Penal Code (including Chapter on terrorism & cyber-terrorism)
• Communications and Multimedia Content Code 

Brief Explanation 

Communications and Multimedia Act 1998

This act is the main pillar for other cyber laws in Malaysia. It will explain each roles and responsibilities of Internet Service Providers. It also stated that there will be no filtering in accessing the Internet in Malaysia. A specialize government body in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is also been established by using this particular act, which is the Communication and Multimedia Commission. It is already being enforced by the government on 1st April 1999 (Multimedia Development Corporation, 1996-2012).


Computer Crimes Act 1997

The main reason for enforcing this act is to ensure that misuse of computer can be overcome. Misuse of computer will be an offence in Malaysia. This act is enforced on 1st June 2000 (Multimedia Development Corporation, 1996-2012).

Copyright Act (Amendment) 1997

This act is amendment from Copyright Act 1987. It will be protecting the copyright works from unauthorized copying and/or alteration. Since technology is always evolved, this act help to protect copyright works in new forms. The enforcement of the act has been done on 1st April 1999 (Multimedia Development Corporation, 1996-2012).

Digital Signature Act 1997

On 1st October 1998, this act has been enforced to help preventing on-line transaction fraud. It will provide both licensing and regulation of Certification Authorities (CA). Signor identity certification and Digital Signature will be issued by CA. Digital Signature has become legally valid and enforceable as a traditional signature (National IT Council, 2012).

Electronic Commerce Act 2006

This act will give a legal recognition of electronic messages in commercial transaction. It also provides how legal requirements can be fulfilled by using electronic messages. This acts also allow the use of electronic means and other related matters to facilitate commercial transactions. It is effective on 19th October 2006 (Multimedia Development Corporation, 1996-2012).

Electronic Government Activities Act 2007

Malaysian Government has enforce an act to do facilitation of electronic delivery on government services to the public. It come into force on 1 January 2008 (Multimedia Development Corporation, 1996-2012).

Payment Systems Act 2003

This act will be covering both operators payments system and issuers of designated payment instruments (DPIs). It also contains provasions to allow Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to effectively perform its roles. On 1st November 2003 has been enforced by the government (Bank Negara Malaysia, 2013).

Personal Data Protection Act 2010

Personal Data Protection Act 2010 is an act to regulate the processing of personal data in commercial transactions. However, this will not be applicable to the government both federal or states and data processed outside of Malaysia. This act said to be enforced on 1st January 2013 but it has been extend to a different date (Secure IT Solution, 2011).


Telemedicine Act 1997

This act is still not enforced yet and amendment are still being made. The act states that only registered doctor can practice telemedicine. Other healthcare providers must obtain license to do telemedicine. This is to avoid anything that related with medical purpose from being misuse by doctors or patients, since the health industry has evolved into a new level (National IT Council, 2012).


Penal Code (including Chapter on terrorism & cyber-terrorism)

It is the pillar or the main statute in Malaysia. This is because not all cyber crimes can be enforced using all cyber laws. Therefore, Penal Code will be used as a backup to charge the criminal involved in cyber crimes. Example of case are online fraud, online gambling and online pornography. This will avoid the criminals from charged not guilty (Zulhuda, 2010).  


Communications and Multimedia Content Code

Using Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 as a guide to prepare a content code and to enforce the code according to the standard and practices in the communications and multimedia industry (Ministry of Information Communications and Culture, 2011).

References

Bank Negara Malaysia, 2013. Payment Systems Act 2003. [Online]
Available at: http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=ps_legal&pg=ps_legal_act&lang=en
[Accessed 3 3 2013].

Malaysia Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), 2010. Electronic Government Activity Act 2007 (EGAA). [Online]
Available at: http://www.mampu.gov.my/web/bi_mampu//electronic-government-activity-act
[Accessed 2010].

Ministry of Information Communications and Culture, 2011. THE COMMUNICATIONS AND MULTIMEDIA CONTENT FORUM OF MALAYSIA. [Online]
Available at: http://www.kpkk.gov.my/akta_kpkk/ContentCode%20Malaysia.pdf
[Accessed 2009].

Multimedia Development Corporation, 1996-2012. Cyberlaw. [Online]
Available at: http://www.mscmalaysia.my/why_msc_malaysia
[Accessed 1996-2012].

National IT Council, 2012. Cyberlaws in Malaysia. [Online]
Available at: http://nitc.mosti.gov.my/nitc_beta/index.php/national-ict-policies/cyberlaws-in-malaysia
[Accessed 2012].

Secure IT Solution, 2011. Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709) - A Summary. [Online]
Available at: http://www.secure-it.com.my/index.php/component/content/article/34-the-company/146-personal-data-protection-act-2010-act-709-a-summary.html
[Accessed 21 April 2011].

Zulhuda, S., 2010. Penal Code for Cyber Crime. [Online]
Available at: http://sonnyzulhuda.com/2010/08/24/penal-code-for-cyber-crime/
[Accessed 24 August 2010].

Zulhuda, S., n.d. Cyberlaw Statutes. [Online]
Available at: http://sonnyzulhuda.com/cyberlaw-statutes/

New Straits Times - ID theft: Have you been stolen?

New Straits Times : 5 October 2006 More than 1,000 people have. Identity theft is a major crime in Malaysia costing millions of ringgit. Your identity might be stolen for someone to commit financial fraud and other criminal activities involving car and housing loans, credit card transactions, mobile phone bills, property deals and company registrations. Many have fallen prey to fraudsters using their identities. Loss of identity,loads of trouble It was as if someone had slapped him smack in the face. The stunned businessman looked with eyes wide open at the bank officer. "It’s not me," he cried, recovering his composure. The officer told him that police records showed he was a convict. In fact, he was told, he had served seven years in jail. Someone had stolen his identity, been arrested for a crime and served a jail term. Now, he had been blacklisted by banks. A trader and his fiancee went to the civil registry to apply for their marriage to be registered. They were told he was already married. He was shocked. His fiancee and her family walked out. Someone had stolen his identity and got married using his name. Last July, lorry driver Nasir Yusof received a letter from a finance company, urging him to settle the overdue loan instalment on his car. He met the company’s officials, denying he had ever taken a loan, but they were adamant. Someone had stolen Nasir’s identity and is driving around in a Proton bought with a loan taken under his name. He too has been blacklisted by banks. It is now clear that identity theft victim Mohamed Syarizal Wahab is not the only one whose identity had been stolen. In fact, according to police records, about 1,000 people have had their identities stolen over the past four years. Most of those who assumed the identities of their victims have taken loans or spent money in the millions. The victims are now saddled with debts and problems created by the identity thieves. The issue may not have come to light if not for Syarikat Air Johor clerk Syarizal finding out that someone had used his identity to buy a car and marry Norizah Hamzah of Felda Adela in Kota Tinggi, Johor. The imposter even sired two children under Syarizal’s name. On Tuesday, the imposter’s parents revealed his name to the New Straits Times, which broke the story, as Norizam Ahmad. Norizam had been living as Syarizal for five years, after finding Syarizal’s identity card. Norizam had grown up without a birth certificate or other identification papers. Syarizal only knew of the identity theft when he was blacklisted for a traffic offence he had not committed. He then learnt that the Sultanah Aminah Hospital had confirmed his "death" on Jan 30. It was Norizam who had died. Norizam’s wife, not knowing the true identity of her husband, then applied to, and claimed, Syarizal’s RM12,000 Employees Provident Fund savings. Syarizal, 27, is a bachelor. The thread running through all these cases is the loss of identity cards — the old version — by the victims. The imposters had used these cards to commit offences or apply for loans. Federal police investigated 43 cases of identity theft this year, 48 last year, about 400 in 2004 and more than 500 in 2003. The MCA Public Services and Complaints Department has so far handled 114 cases of identity theft involving RM5 million. There have been 18 cases this year. It received 38 reports in 2005 and 58 reports in 2004. Six of those who have lodged complaints claimed that when they went to the civil registry to get married, they were told that official records showed they had already married and they could be charged with polygamy for taking a second wife. MCA’s Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said one victim was arrested during a traffic operation and made to spend a day in jail for an offence committed by a man who had stolen his identity. Chong said the culprits had taken advantage of administrative loopholes at financial institutions and statutory agencies. "I believe the regulations have since been tightened and it will be difficult once the MyKad is in full use. Almost 70 per cent of the 114 cases we handled have been solved. Some financial institutions are adamant that the victims pay up the outstanding loan amounts despite adequate evidence being furnished. "These victims are now, with my department’s assistance, counter-suing the financial institutions to clear their names." He added that his department had returned 10 identity cards to their owners this year. The cards had been found by passers-by and given to his department. A National Registration Department spokesman said identity thefts would end when everyone changed to MyKad. But a systems analyst with a reputable software solutions provider familiar with identity theft disagreed. "No system is foolproof. The authorities are constantly improving security features while the crooks are attempting to catch up or beat the system. More often than not, there is always the element of an inside job, as money breeds greed," he said. Vetting methods let people down The use of "runners" to apply for loans or carry out financial transactions is one reason for the high number of identity thefts. MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said imposters often used "runners" to do the actual transaction. He questioned the vetting methods of financial institutions which accepted applications submitted by "runners" to "unsuspecting approval officers". He cited one case where a man managed to withdraw RM300,000 from an elderly couple’s savings account. "The man gave himself up to the bank authorities recently," said Chong. A Federal police headquarters spokesman agreed that this practice bred identity thefts. "We have repeatedly advised the public not to allow ‘runners’ to handle their identity cards for fast processing of loans or other transactions as it can be abused," she said. Most banks said photocopies of identity cards were acceptable for vetting of applications for credit cards and loans. Some of them admitted that sometimes "runners" carried out the transaction. The Association of Banks in Malaysia said although there were strict Bank Negara guidelines, individual banks used their discretion in granting approvals. Bank Negara recently issued stricter guidelines, such as requiring the physical presence of a loan applicant during the approval vetting process. One bank executive said the imposters also managed to forge EPF, income tax and other personal particulars of victims. "The ruse is only discovered when the victim comes forward to report after receiving statements to settle outstanding amounts." The police spokesman said identity thefts were usually the work of individuals and not syndicates. Nearly all the cases are investigated for forgery and tampering with an identity card. She was unable to give a breakdown of the number convicted for such offences. She said there was no requirement now to lodge a police report when someone lost the identity card as replacements could be obtained directly from the National Registration Department. Identity theft: The tricks they use * Identity Card: Misuse of the victims’ personal information to gain employment, evade legal sanctions, obtain tax refunds, open or access Internet accounts, declare bankruptcy, lease residences, and purchase or trade in securities and investments. * Credit Card Fraud: A credit card is opened in the name of the victim, or unauthorised charges are placed on the victim’s existing credit card. * Bank Fraud: A new bank account is opened in the name of the victim, fraudulent cheques are written, or unauthorised withdrawals are made from their account. * Fraudulent Loans: The identity thief gets a loan (personal, car, house, etc) in the victim’s name. * Government Documents: The identity thief forges government documents to make withdrawals on EPF or tax refunds in the name of the victim. PREVENTION TIPS * Carry only the cards you need. Minimise the identification information you carry in your wallet or purse. * Cut up old or expired credit cards. Close all inactive credit cards and bank accounts. * For your ATM card, choose a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that is different from your address, telephone number, middle name, the last four digits of your IC number, your birth date or any other information that could be easily discovered by thieves. * Memorise your PIN. Do not write it down on a slip, paper or notebook and keep it in your wallet or purse. * Keep personal information in a safe place. If you employ outside help or are having service work done in your home, keep your personal information out of sight. * Give your IC number only when absolutely necessary. When someone takes photocopies of your IC, see that extra copies are not made. * Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you have initiated contact or know the business with which you are dealing. * Compare your ATM receipts and cashed cheques with your periodic bank statements to check for unauthorised transfers or charges. * Shred credit card statements, bank statements and pre-approved credit offers when you do not need them. * Ask your bank about its privacy policies and information practices. Find out the circumstances under which your bank would provide your account information to a third party. Hapless victims of IC fraud * Cheras fruit seller Chong Kek Loong, 35, claimed his girlfriend had misused a copy of his identity card to re-register his car under her name. She then lodged a police report that he had stolen her car. Chong said she agreed to withdraw the report when he told her she could have the car. Their relationship has since ended. * A woman was shocked to hear in May this year that she owed a bank RM65,141 for a car loan. "The bank said it would be sending my mother a bankruptcy letter soon if she does not repay the loan," said her son. * Boutique owner Syarifah Farrah Kurban Ali Shah of Batu Caves received a letter recently from a bank, telling her to repay a RM70,000 car loan she had taken in January. She denies taking such a loan. * Last June, Hong Tek Meng — who lost his wallet containing his identity card, credit card, ATM card and driving licence in 2000 — lodged a report that he had been blacklisted since 2001 for failing to settle a business loan he purportedly took to open a restaurant in Selayang. * Last March, Puchong van driver Ong Fook Wah — who lost his identity card in 1998 — claimed he had been asked by three banks to settle RM137,163 in credit card charges. Ong said he had never applied for credit cards from the three banks. His monthly salary is RM1,200. * In March too, Roszamry Hisham Reselin of Wangsa Maju — who had lost his identity card in 2003 — was shocked to get a letter from a bank asking that he repay a loan he had taken for a luxury condominium

Blogger’s Review

In Malaysia identity theft is not new at all. But for online indentity theft by far most case involve online banking where phishing site were being setup to fool user to log in to, where the password and user name would be used on the designated online banking website to do unauthorized transaction on behalf of its rightful owner.

Identity theft used to obtain personal information from various source and using the classical price claim method would have conned its victim into exposing their personal particulars to the fraudulent. This information often used as advertising tool where targeted customer is being addressed.

References:-

New Straits Times -2009- ID theft: Have you been stolen? [Online]

Available at: http://www.nccc.org.my/v2/index.php/nccc-di-pentas-media/2006/287-new-straits-times-id-theft-have-you-been-stolen

 [Accessed 11 September 2009 09:56 AM]

Groupon Stock Drops 12% As Customer Refunds Increase

Neil Vidyarthi on April 2, 2012 12:32 PM

While other IPOs such as LinkedIn and YELP have had tremendous recent success, social buying startup Groupon has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride and it looks like they just went over a steep drop.  The stock is down over 10% today on news that four-quarter revenue and income is down due to a higher than expected number of customers asking for refunds.

Groupon is a social buying service that allows users to buy specific items at discount as long as a large number of people participate in a given deal.  For example, a massage parlour can offer 30% off their regular price, as long as 100 people purchase the deal.  This incentivizes users to invite their friends to participate in the deal, and if the 100 number is hit, the deal is activated.

The problem is that a lot of businesses have not prepared themselves for the influx of customers, and the poor service has sometimes led to users demanding refunds.  Another anecdotal reason for the refunds is that the deals are often so enticing that people begin to hoard massive numbers of deals, but then realize they probably won’t need to cash in on 6 massages in the next few months.  Read more about the refund issue here.

As we can see in the chart, the stock began to rebound after a big hit in November during the IPO, and had reached heights above 20.  As reported in MarketWatch, Justin Post of Bank of America/Merrill Lynch had recommended a buy on the stock, but the company has not performed as well as hoped.

“Groupon has been our most disappointing call in 2012 as we thought 4Q margin upside, a rebound in 4Q take rates, and data suggesting an improving competitive landscape would improve sentiment on the stock,” wrote Justin Post of Bank of America/Merrill Lynch in a note to clients on Monday.

This is a far cry from when Google was attempting to buy the company at a valuation of $6B, although today’s does have its market capitalization at $8B… but that number is falling fast.

Blogger’s Review

Groupon has been seen as a profitable e-commerce site where it host client discount coupon with a commission. It uses email as mean of advertisement. Sending newletter to it subscriber on daily basis.

Goupon issued refund to its patron mainly due to change of mind and fraudster who is Groupon client who fail to exercise its duty or promise on the said deal. Online fraud is unevitable even grouon suffer great loss on this. But for consumer, no doubt Groupon patron has this conditional privilege-that is the protection in terms of refund to protect itself, but if these victims were to deal with these online fraudulent without Groupon as third party, it would be disastrous.

Here is a classic example where e-commerce merchant could play a row in making cyberspace safer.   

References:-

Neil Vidyarthi -2012- Groupon Stock Drops 12% As Customer Refunds Increase [Online]

Available at: http://socialtimes.com/groupon-stock-drops-12-as-customer-refunds-increase_b93097

[Accessed 2 April 2012 12:32 PM]