Online scams: Top 5 best of the worst

A quick look at leading online scams, which account for billions of dollars in annual losses, shows that Internet users remain vulnerable to incredible offers. Through Web pages and email, people are asked to provide money to claim prizes, liberate fabulous sums from escrow, take advantage of financial mistakes and other never-fail "free money" deals. A fundamental principle is the watchword for this phenomenon: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

According to a recent report from the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, who operate the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), online crime complaints nearly doubled from 2003 to 2004. Though they identify a sizable list of online scams, here's

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The biggest problem with these scams is that they target those who are ill equipped to withstand them. FBI and FTC reports indicate that the elderly are particularly susceptible to online fraud. Unfortunately, those on small or fixed incomes are also least able to survive financial losses unharmed, particularly if they're tricked into surrendering some (or all) of their life's savings.

This top five list serves as a reminder that in the criminal world, there aren't really new scams, just new victims. Keep that in mind as you sort through your ever-growing deluge of spam.

About the author: Ed Tittel has been following IT certifications since the mid-1990s and is perhaps best known for originating the "Exam Cram" series of Cert Prep books. He's contributed to titles on numerous information security certifications, including Security+, TICSA, and CISSP. He also surveys infosec certifications twice a year for SearchSecurity.com. Contact Ed at etittel@techtarget.com.

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