Auctions, Shopping Sites Prompt Complaints

WASHINGTON — Phony auction Web sites that disappear after taking people’s money and online shopping centers that never deliver the goods are the two most reported instances of Internet fraud, according to the first FBI report on the subject.

And while studies have shown that most online shoppers’ greatest fear is having their credit card number misused or stolen, those schemes comprised only 5 percent of complaints. The report, released Tuesday, was a joint effort by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, a nationwide network supported by the Justice Department that helps law enforcement agencies combat economic and high-tech crimes.