Every year a significant number of people become victims of various Internet crimes. According to a report published by the Internet Crime Complaint Center, in 2006 there were 200,481 complaints processed on behalf of the complainants. This number included the various crime types, such as auction fraud, non-delivery, and credit/debit card fraud, as well as non-fraudulent complaints, such as computer intrusions, spam, and child pornography.
With so many people becoming victims of Internet crimes, it is important to understand the different schemes used to defraud people and the ways to protect people from becoming victims. No one is safe while using the Internet and even those who work in the field of Information Technology and have the extensive knowledge of how the Internet works and of the various techniques used to protect computers and personal information can become victims of the Internet fraud. Because the Internet is so unsafe, people are frequently afraid to make purchases at online retailers and use various online services. In general, people do not believe in the overall security of the Internet.
There are different technologies currently available that help protect personal information of Internet users. Those technologies include but not limited to firewalls, antivirus, email filtering, and applications to detect and remove numerous spyware and adware.
But the most important point is to get people to understand that their protection is their own responsibility. Education about the dangers of the Internet is the best way for all users to protect themselves. Every person who is using the Internet has to make an effort and learn how not become victims.
