Internet fraud is a type of cybercrime that attempts to solicit and conduct fraudulent transactions by deception. Identity theft can result when a cybercrook illegally obtains and uses your personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception. The National Consumer League's Fraud Center lists 25 different scams currently making the rounds on the Internet including online auctions, identity theft and phishing.
Many scams are variations of schemes that were in existence before the advent of the Internet, but have grown in number with the popularity of online shopping and other types of e-commerce. Internet fraudsters use email, online chat, forums or fake websites to deceive people.