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free anti virus software >> anti virus news >> 12% of UK Internet users fell victim to fraud in 2006
12% of UK Internet users fell victim to fraud in 2006
A shocking new statistic has revealed that around 1 in 10 UK Internet users have been a victim to some kind of identity theft or fraud during last year, with the average victim losing around £900.
Incredibly, more than one out of every two people surveyed believed that they were not responsible for their own safety on the Internet - many felt that banks and online companies were responsible.
It is now more important than ever that users take responsibility for their own actions and with a few simple steps you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of Internet fraud:
- Make sure you have anti virus software installed on your PC.
- Make sure you have a firewall that is turned on. Some anti virus products come with a firewall but if yours does not have one you should install one separately.
- Regularly use spyware protection software. Again, some anti virus products already include this but do check.
- When buying online make sure you know about the company you are dealing with. If you have never heard of the company you should put their name into an Internet search engine to find reviews of them and their service. Only proceed with the transaction if you find reliable good reviews.
- Use different passwords for different accounts and change them regularly. Ideally passwords should be at least 8 characters and contain both numbers and letters.
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