What to Do to Protect Yourself

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself online is to use common sense and have a good amount of healthy skepticism. Keep in mind that although you might not ever fall for one of these scams, members for your family or friends might, so it is worth talking about. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Verify your facts before you pass along information or deal with an individual or business online. You can find a lot of information by searching on Google.com. The time you spend there could save you a lot of time, money, and embarrassment.

• Remember when you "meet" somebody online that you do not "know" that person. It is a simple matter to disguise yourself online. The person you are dealing with could be anybody from anywhere.

• Do not give anyone your personal information unless you are 100 percent certain they are legitimate.

• Ask yourself the following question: If you were outside your home and a stranger offered you the same deal in a mall or on a street that you are being offered via e-mail or online, would you take it? Then why would you take it online?

• Remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it is.

• Listen to your gut. If something feels wrong about a person or situation you are dealing with, walk away from it.

• Invoke the "24-hour rule." Close that laptop or shut down that computer and sleep on it.

• Do not let greed or ego get the best of you. They are the very weaknesses scammers rely on to nail you. There is no such thing as a risk-free investment.

• Before you commit to anything, talk about it with someone you know and trust. Use your friends or family as a sounding board.

• If you think you have received a scam e-mail, report it to the authorities. In the United States, you can report scams at http://www.ic3.gov.