Are you annoyed by the fact that there are so many scams on the Internet? Don’t you hate it when you receive an email that asks you to update your bank account or credit card details? Or when someone sends you hot tips about the share market? Or when you sell your old PC on eBay, and the buyer wants you to send it to Nigeria! No kidding! This happened to me!

I have seen many Internet scams over the last 10 years, most of them trying to get your personal information, bank account details or make you buy some fake product or service, just so they can take your money. Such offers usually come via unsolicited email.

If you do get such emails, do not respond and do not click on any links. Just delete the email.

Here are some of the major scams you should protect yourself from:

Update or confirm your account information – I have received many of these in my hotmail account. Luckily it always goes into the junk email folder. However, a few years ago, Hotmail didn’t have the junk email filter and I had to read these. Basically, some fake bank asks you to provide your bank details so they can update your account. Never, ever provide your bank account information over the Internet!

Business opportunity – I have seen these too. Some domestic or off-shore company offers a part time job where you don’t have to work hard and you can make a lot of money. If it sounds too good to be true, it is! Never believe these schemes.

Work from home – “Make $4000 a month working from home!” – yeah right! And “no experience necessary”. Needless to say, most of these offers do not work or are designed to take your money, not make you earn some.

You’ve inherited money from a distant relative – Another favorite of mine! NOT! Some distant relative in England has left me money – I just have to send my details to confirm something. Do they think people are stupid? Unfortunately, someone with less experience on the Internet could fall victim to this scam. Again, never provide any information over the Internet, unless you are 100% sure who is receiving it.

You’ve won the lottery or sweepstakes – You have won a million dollars in the lottery, but you don’t even know where, when and if you’ve entered the draw at all! Doesn’t matter, you’ve won so much money. Great! And it’s a lie.

Investment scams – These get rich quick schemes are just annoying. People ask you for your money with promise of great return on investment, but in the end, they just take and take, and you don’t get anything. They stole your money!

Share market tips – Sometimes I get emails telling me about some great new company that will increase in market value, for example due to the launch of some new product. This ‘inside tip’ is only designed to make you buy shares that aren’t really worth much. This way the scammers boost their own share price and make a huge profit by selling the shares above their actual value. People who buy the shares are stuck with worthless shares and can never recover their money.

There are many more scams, but I’ll leave those for later….