The internet plays a huge part in many people’s lives these days, but rather like when you go to the movies and watch a Hollywood blockbuster film, everything you see on screen is not always as it might seem.

In the same way that filmmakers use sophisticated tricks and effects to get us to believe what we are seeing is real, there are plenty of websites out there which are using a wide range of online tricks and promises to get you to part with your cash or valuable information, for devious and fraudulent reasons.

Thankfully, the vast majority of websites that you visit online are offering a genuine product or service and are reputable and trustworthy enough to take good care of any information or personal data that you supply to them, but there are others that have definitely gone over to the dark side and need to be avoided.

Online fraud and scams operate under many different disguises and go by many names, including consumer cybercrime, internet fraud, online crime, and e-crime.
No matter what it’s called, it causes considerable distress to everyone it affects, and it can even culminate in serious financial problems, as some victims have discovered.

Most Common Internet Scams

• The Forex & Binary Options Scam
• The Nigerian Scam
• Guaranteed Acceptance for a Credit Card or Loan
• Lottery Scams
• Phishing
• Overpayment Scam
• Career Opportunities
• Charitable Donations
• Free Holiday
• Pyramid Scheme
• Make Money at Home Using your Computer

The crooks may be here to stay, but at least we have ways to stop them cold. Don’t become someone’s victim online. Be careful, be smart, and communicate when something doesn’t seem right to you – and stay safe online.