You are going to read an article about internet fraud. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
A few weeks ago, some British friends told me that they would be coming to New York for a holiday and needed a place to stay. Since my own apartment was already full with extended family, I suggested they look on the internet – and they duly booked one of their own. It seemed ideal, at least in cyberspace: a mid-town address, a reasonable rental price and spacious rooms. I guess I should have checked it out, being on the spot, but these friends are by no means uninitiated first-time travellers and it never occurred to me to intervene. Anyway, the booking turned out to be an internet fraud perpetrated by a man named Lester Gold. It's a sobering tale on several levels, not least in that we'd all been caught off-guard. Indeed, since this particular fraudster struck, I've been regaled with a host of similar tales: such scams, it seems, are far from uncommon here. No surprise, perhaps, given the city's sky-high hotel prices, tourist influx – and the presence of platforms which have no liability for what is advertised or posted there. But amid such scepticism, what is notable is the extent to which our faith in technology remains so high. According to one recent 18-country survey, public confidence in banks, government and most business has tumbled in recent years, whilst faith in technology has remained entirely steady. And whereas financial analysts, CEOs and government officials used to be considered reliable sources of information, these days 'a person like yourself' or 'a regular employee' commands more trust. Vertical trust, it seems, has been replaced by a horizontal slant, as the public turns to their peer group for advice, via social-networking sites. To put it another way, while we no longer have faith in bankers, bureaucrats or estate agents, we are taking leaps of faith with our tablets and smart phones. This horizontal trust does not, in itself, cause people to be swindled. For every gullible internet user out there, there are also dozens of others who are profoundly savvy. Nevertheless, the numbers are thought-provoking, even in hard-nosed, cynical New York. According to data compiled by the Internet Crime Complaint Center, in 2010 there were 14,689 cases of reported cyber fraud in the state of New York, which created
6.5m worth of losses, with an average swindle of $700. This was a fraction lower than the previous year, but more than double the level five years previously. Just over 20 percent of these frauds were for 'non-delivery of merchandise' (such as paying for a flat that never existed), while 18 percent of the losses were linked to identity theft, 13 percent to auction fraud and 8 percent to credit-card fraud. And while some of those duped were tourists, particularly from Canada, the UK, Australia and India, the majority were Americans, often New Yorkers themselves. It seems we're all prone to let down our guard online – probably because the sheer intimacy of the medium makes it feel seductively familiar, there is an implicit temptation to trust. Of course, for my friends who suffered at the hands of Lester Gold, that trust is now shattered. The New York Police Department has disabused them of the idea that contacting the bank that handled the fraudster's account would be a fruitful avenue to pursue, suggesting that their best bet is to analyse the geographical source of the original internet postings (in this case Wisconsin), file a report with the police – and then lick their wounds. In the meantime, however, this particular family has made an intriguing discovery. Precisely because these rental frauds keep happening, a class of companies is now springing up that try to offer a new form of security. Groups have emerged in the past few years to match online renters and landlords – but via a central platform that forces everyone to post a set of videos, pictures and details online. The idea appears to be that if humans can connect face-to-face, via cyberspace, this will create new forms of trust. It's a fascinating example of the way that seemingly impersonal, dehumanising technology keeps dancing with 'the social'; and, of course, it is also a very cheering sign of the adaptive capabilities of free-market capitalism and entrepreneurs. Better still, I am pleased to say that these new systems work. My friends are now happily ensconced in a Brooklyn rental, after Skyping with the landlady – even as 'Lester Gold' is probably hunting for his next victims.
shock that her friends were so gullible when booking online.
guilt for having suggested a fraudulent website to her friends.
regret that she hadn't heeded various warnings about internet fraud.
concern that she was unaware of certain risks in making online bookings.
In the first paragraph, the writer reveals feelings of
dislike of making purchases online.
distrust of certain stories she's heard.
frustration at aspects of life in New York.
realisation of why certain crimes are prevalent.
In her use of the phrase 'such scepticism' (line 23) the writer is referring to her
people's faith in their peers may be misguided.
people's distrust of institutions makes them vulnerable.
people have tended to lose faith in those they once trusted.
people have more faith in officials if they interact over the internet.
In the second paragraph, the writer suggests that
some people are more at risk than others.
the problem is now being tackled effectively.
it's not easy to predict who will fall victim to it.
certain types are growing at the expense of others.
When discussing the statistics about internet crime, the writer points out that
They are resigned to the loss of their money.
They are already hot on the trail of the fraudster.
They are unimpressed by the attitude of the police.
They are hoping to pursue their case through the banks.
What does the writer imply about her friends in the penultimate paragraph?
finds people's reliance on technology puzzling.
remains optimistic about the future of internet business.
believes that regulation of online booking sites is needed.
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