Three of the Hottest Criminal Internet Acts to Watch Out For in 2009

Many people and businesses are often subject to scam artists looking to steal their information and money. Now is a more sensitive time than normal and we definitely don't have money to spare and could sadly take down a business that is low on cash flow.

Spoof/Fake Websites

There is many spoof or fake websites that are popping up and the criminals use more and more sophisticated ways to attract you to the website and to entice you to enter personal or business details.

Websites are so easy to create that criminals will set them up for a short time only to shut them down and do it all over again. You've heard the phrase before, if something seems to good to be true then the likelihood is, that it is. They will offer you fantastic deals or impossible to find items to draw victims in through posting in forums and e-mail targeting. If you haven't heard of the website before be very cautious and if the purchase is over a £100 then use a credit card to protect the purchase.

Auction scams and classified ads

Scammers offer to buy a car or rent a room on an auction site or in the local classified ads. They will then send a cheque, a fraudulent cheque to the buyer, which is worth more that the item being sold. They make up an excuse as to why you should send the extra money back such as the cheque is from a parent and the money was meant for you. The scam is that they hope you will send them money before you find out that the cheque is a fake.

The social networking scam

This is the newest of the scams so particularly hot at the moment. It works by sending someone an e-mail to tell them they are mentioned on Twitter or are in a You Tube video. When they click on the link their computer will be compromised. Conmen will hack accounts, use dating scams or access your friends and family e-mails claiming to be you and in trouble and ask for money. These are a few of the most common scams that are used with social networks.

Protect your business by learning about methods used to prevent and detect fraud schemes by attending fraud related conferences such as Marcus Evans scam conferences.

Tom Swayer writes articles covering a broad range of subjects. His main area of expertise is fraud awareness and scam prevention. Tom has written articles on these subjects including an article covering the Marcus Evans scam conferences. By Tom Swayer