Most online scams are based on old, proven offline scams. The only real difference is the technology involved and the much shorter time it takes to execute the scams online.

In all cases, however, the scammers rely on these weaknesses in their intended victims:

• ignorance
• inexperience
• confusion
• fear of loss
• greed
• laziness
• vanity
  
• gullibility
• stupidity

In this section we’ll explore many of the different types of online scams that are used to exploit and abuse unwitting victims.

We’ll also list reliable resources for additional help and information, like:

• http://scambusters.org
• http://www.snopes.com