The Internet has opened up a whole world of possibilities in terms of communication and information, as well as online operations and transactions, with exponential growth in their usage since they offer multiple advantages and possibilities. However, it has also paved the way for new online scams and fraudulent activity which threatens all web users.

So, we all need to:

• Learn how to prevent these attempts at online fraud.
• Identify the types of online fraud with the greatest impact and know what to do when you come across them. For example, fraud perpetrated by e-mail, known as phishing.

Normally in the ‘real’ world, we are used to taking a series of precautions in our relations and purchases to avoid being scammed. We do not provide our card number over the phone, leave our front door open or trust people who ask us for our personal details on the street.

We should behave in the same way on the Internet. We must be cautious. Perhaps because the Internet offers us a certain level of anonymity in our actions, we tend to think that we are protected and that what happens on our PC is not reflected in our ‘real’ world, but that is not the case.