One of the worst problems affecting internet users today is the popularity of what is known as a phishing scheme. If you are not familiar with how these schemes work, a person will pretend to be a company that you trust. You’ll be sent an email or redirected to a website that will ask you to enter in your personal information to verify your account. The problem is that your information is not sent to the company you thought you were dealing with, it goes right to the phisher. This has led to hundreds of thousands on dollars in fraud. Here are ten ways that you can spot and avoid a nasty surprise on your next credit card balance!

1. Look at the URL - A company that you trust, such as PayPal, will not have a strange URL.
2. Check the email address - When you get a phishing email, it may look as though it is coming from the actual company. However, if you click on View Headers in your email program, you’ll see that it is actually a much different address.
3. Install a plugin on your browser - One of the best ways to make sure you don’t fall prey to phishing scams is to install the Safe Browsing plugin that is available for Firefox users from Google.
4. Don’t believe everything you read - Phishing emails will usually tell you that your account is going to be deactivated unless you take quick action. Legitimate companies do not do this.
5. Look for a secure symbol - Phishing websites do not secure your information, while legitimate companies will.
6. Look for errors - Phishers are not the best when it comes to correct English. If you spot grammatical or spelling errors in an email, be wary.
7. No account open? - You might not have an account with the company listed in the email. If you don’t have a Bank of America or PayPal account and you get an email about your account with them, it’s most likely a phishing scheme.
8. Generic greetings - Most phishers will use a generic greeting instead of your real name or user name.
9. Asking for information that isn’t necessary - A phishing site will typically ask for your driver’s license number. Most companies don’t need this.
10. Email has an attachment - Because they are including graphics from a real site, a phishing email will usually have attachments. Normal emails from respected companies do not.

As more and more people trade in foreign lands via the internet, there has been a marked jump in the number of reported frauds, scams and thefts.  Up until now it had been almost impossible to chase foreign based crooks, but now the European Commission and the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have joined forces to tackle cross border disputes.  The new UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC) is one of 27 such centres across Europe and should now be your first port of call for cross border disputes.

The Scheme will cover goods purchased in the EU and will also take in Iceland and Norway who are both supporting the scheme.  This fast track way to attack and close down the crooks who plague the internet is being hailed as a major step by many in the industry – although some are speculating that it will only force the fraudsters and crooks to other areas of the world not covered by the ECC.

So how wide spread is fraud and illegal activity in the retail market?

While it is known that this kind of activity has increased dramatically since the internet offered access to all areas of the world, it is very difficult to obtain true and accurate figures because many people are ashamed to admit their own short comings when falling for these get rich quick schemes. 

Many commercial companies are very unlikely to report being the subject of such stings as it will affect their reputation, possibly alarm their customers and show them in a distinctly unflattering light.  While everyone knows that the scams cannot be closed down as quickly as they should be without people coming forward, the taint on a company’s reputation may be greater than any potential financial loss.

In this kind of market the scammers are often hidden from the rest of the world, causing untold financial heartbreak for far too many people.