Computer frauds

The term "Internet fraud" refers generally to any type of fraud scheme that uses one or more components of the Internet - such as chat rooms, e-mail, message boards, or Web sites. People who engage in fraud often operate in "Internet time", that means when things seem to happen more quickly, for example, business decisions, information-searching, personal interactions.
There are the major types of computer frauds:

• Auction and Retail Schemes Online - this type is the most frequent. These schemes induce their victims to send money for the promised items, but then deliver nothing or only an item far less valuable than what was promised.
• Business Opportunity/"Work-at-Home" Schemes Online. These schemes typically require the individuals to pay anywhere from $35 to several hundred dollars or more.
• Identity Theft and Fraud.
• Credit-Card Schemes. Some Internet fraud schemes, which appear to be variations on the online auction schemes described earlier, involve the use of unlawfully obtained credit card numbers to order goods or services online.

Computer fraud is a criminal act and people are punished, but still it is very difficult to find individuals and groups engaging in various types of computer fraud. So everyone who uses Internet has to be very care full, try to avoid a suspect messages, don't judge by initial appearances, be careful about giving out valuable personal data online, be especially careful about online communications with someone who conceals his true identity.