There is no question that Internet related scams are becoming increasingly prevalent in today's high technology society. While the Internet is a fascinating and exhilarating realm, the downfall is that it is fraught with danger. The presumed anonymity that the Internet inspires has rendered the 'information super-highway' a virtual playground for every type of crook and con man imaginable.

According to recent statistics from the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), and agency established in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National White Collar Crime Center, the vast majority of complaints they received throughout 2001 involved Internet auctions, predominately failure to render goods purchased. The IFFC are currently receiving around 1000 such complaints a week, and according to officials, they expect that number to rise quickly to around 1000 a day!

By far, the best weapon against Internet fraud is prevention. Common sense should tell you that when a stranger, someone you've never met and are never likely to meet, and who may live thousands of miles away from you wants large amounts of money from you for something you've never seen, you should certainly exercise more caution that if you were buying a pound of Virginia ham from the local deli.

The IFFC currently maintains a web site at:
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

This should undoubtedly be your starting point if you've been the unfortunate victim of an Internet related scam.