Spammers slither into your e-mail, hoping you click on something you shouldn't. Scammers send out bogus appeals for help, gambling that the soft spot in your heart can be tapped for their financial gain. Hackers lurk in the shadows, seeking to hijack websites with malicious and sometimes costly worms and viruses.
What is a worried surfer to do? How about turn them in?
People who suspect they have been victims of cyberspace ne'er-do-wells can turn to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, for help in foiling online bad guys.
Dubbed the IC3, the center takes complaints, researches and develops reports and refers possible criminal cases to federal, state, local or international police agencies for investigation and prosecution.
Consider it the first step towards rooting out those who illegally use the Internet for fraud and theft.
Online crime is going up.
The IC3 in 2009 received 336,655 complaints, up 22.3 percent from 2008. The total loss linked to online fraud was $559.7 million, up from $265 million in 2008.
The IC3 website has dozens of detailed examples of Internet scams, and even more tips for people to use to protect themselves. Here are just a few:
