2. Theft of money

Commerce on the Internet is mainly paid for through the use of credit cards, either personal or corporate credit cards.

Therefore thieves have been very active in obtaining stolen credit card details to purchase goods and services over the Internet. This type of crime runs to millions of pounds per year.

Until recently credit card numbers were printed on supermarket receipts etc, but you may have noticed that many businesses only print part of the number now. This has been done to make it harder to steal vital details.

On-line companies can now also check that the address for delivery is the same as the true credit card owner, making it harder for the thief to use the stolen card.

Online purchases are checked in various ways. For example an extra box might pop up asking for your security password that only you know (depends on the card being used). Card companies also look for unusual buying patterns.