Be SAFE online

Everyone has read the stories about people getting ripped, and it happens a lot more than you think.

Firstly the practice of getting peoples details is called phishing. So when anyone on your social network asks for you to chat on yahoo or msn or wherever, they are most likely looking to get your details. Please be careful with this. I don't mean to sound rude or horrible here, but there are people who are more vulnerable than others.

People who are looking for that special someone or who are a little bit lonely are bigger targets than anyone else. They will flatter your profile, your looks everything that will make you feel special. Then comes the crunch. After a short while they will tell you that they are in love with you, and want to be with you but can't afford to get to you, would you pay for them to travel to you and you will both live happily ever after. It's all bogus of course, but you would be surprised how many people both male and female will believe this.

Always remember that in a lot of cases this is not a personal attack, it's more to do with casting a line and see what bites (see Phishing). It is completely random, and in a lot of cases the culprit is sitting in an internet cafe in Nigeria (I am not slagging off a complete nation, but statistics prove that quiet a lot of these scams come from Nigeria, but they are worldwide too). When they get a bite they call the victim a MUGU! I think this means something like stupid rich person, especially as they will try to fleece you for everything they can.

If someone on your network or someone you have met online asked you to cash a money gram (not that the companies that issue these are not to blame for others dishonesty) or check for a large amount of money, and they offer to let you keep half as compensation DON'T DO IT!!! It's that simple just don't do it.

If you buy or sell on auction sites or craigs list you still need to be careful. If you sell only accept electronic transfers or paypal. Especially paypal as they go out of their way to protect you. Likewise if you are buying something using a credit card or paypal is great protection. Do NOT pay for goods via western union or anything similar. The biggest golden rule for auction sites is to NEVER trade with anyone who looks to do it off site. It's just not worth it.

Most of all, never, never, never (I cannot stress this enough) give your personal details to anyone you meet on a social network or dating site. However should you meet someone from a dating site, tell someone where you are going and what you are doing. Protect yourself from madmen/women, con artists and scammers at all times.