Tim Berners-Lee Conned By Web Scam?

from the that's-cold dept

Wed, Mar 18th 2009 5:17am — Mike Masnick

Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the web, has now admitted that he was recently conned out of some money by a "fake company" that he found online, when searching for a place to buy some presents. While some will leap to the conclusion that "something needs to be done!" when even the web's inventor can become a victim of fraud online, I don't see how it's really any different than traditional fraud. People can and will get taken in by frauds. It's what happens. That the fraud happened online, or that it happened to the guy who invented the web hardly seems particularly meaningful here.

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Filed Under: scam, tim berners-lee, web

14 Comments

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Xyro TR1 (profile), 18 Mar 2009 @ 5:59am

But it's still quite ironic. He was scammed via the media that he created.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:04am

"...when even the web's inventor can become guilty of fraud online..."

That makes it sound like he's been accused of committing fraud, not that he fell victim to it.
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Weird Harold, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:23am

I never understand stories like this. If you buy online, use a credit card. If the product isn't delivered, charge it back through the CC company. It's not difficult. The story sort of reads like he wired money or otherwise transferred cash to these people.

I guess proof that even the brightest people have blind spots.
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steve plunkett, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:24am

TBL
Can become guilty of fraud online

should be.. can be a VICTIM... of fraud online.
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hegemon13, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:26am

"That the fraud happened online, or that it happened to the guy who invented the web hardly seems particularly meaningful here."

Then why did you write an article about it?
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Ed, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:26am

Update this tewrrible editing!
Fix that horrific editing!*

*See ALL comments above.

Yikes!
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shmengie, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:29am

hegemon13: dayum, you beat me to it!
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Osno, 18 Mar 2009 @ 6:36am

Guy's getting old, you know...
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Mar 2009 @ 7:04am

Madoff committed online fraud to the tune of billions and no one called for the 'action to combat online fraud' so in that context it is hard to see how this little episode even hits the radar.
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BTR1701, 18 Mar 2009 @ 7:31am

Guilty?
> While some will leap to the conclusion
> that "something needs to be done!" when
> even the web's inventor can become guilty
> of fraud online

Berners-Lee isn't guilty of anything. He's the victim of the fraud, not the perpetrator.
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Chronno S. Trigger, 18 Mar 2009 @ 7:47am

Re:
Even though he wasn't vary clear about it, Mike wrote this article to point out that networkworld.com wrote a fear mongering article about it.

To quote specific parts:

"Berners Lee made the revelation as he spoke of his dismay at the medium's dispiriting lack of security."

"...with a helplessness that will strike a chord with the Web's growing number of less famous victims."

"That such an event could befall someone as sophisticated at Berners Lee is liable to be seen as a noteworthy irony."

"the fraud admission adds an extra layer of insult to his misfortune."

"but he didn't, in fairness, build it into the troubled medium it has become."

I recommend reading the linked to article so one doesn't read these comments out of context.
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JMarsh, 18 Mar 2009 @ 8:05am

victim != guilty
Please edit your stories more carefully.
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Mike (profile), 18 Mar 2009 @ 9:38am

Re:
Fixed. Thanks for pointing it out... and sorry for any confusion!
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Shelley, 18 Mar 2009 @ 12:02pm

Scams
Mike thanks for sharing this.

So many people mistakenly assume that scam victims aren't really that smart. Fact is many victims don't even come forward out of embarrassment. This just goes to show that anybody is susceptible no matter their level of intelligence.
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