The sophomore group had been using their home machines, school machines and sniffer software to procure credit card numbers, which in turn were used by the students to purchase goods online. Though the students were ultimately held responsible for their activities, it is possible that in some situations, school administrators, technology coordinators, system operators or supervising teachers may be made considered responsible for some aspects of the situation. Educational institutions which fail to exercise due care and reasonable safeguards open themselves up to allegations of incompetence, negligence, law suits and forfeiture of insurance claims. With the increasing use of technology and the Internet in school settings, students and teachers should be aware of the many fraudulent sites designed to deceive unsuspecting users. Providing students with current and accurate information has been greatly facilitated with the advent of the Internet, yet students and teachers must use good judgement and caution when judging the credibility of these sites.
Fraudulent sites perpetuate the crime of robbing users of access to accurrate information.
Additionally, people who misrepresent themselves on the Internet could prove to be even more damaging to the naive user. Please see the section on pedophilia for further information. Issues Issues involving fraud on the Internet encompass a broad range. Just as trickery and deceit flourish in our everyday world, so does this practice continue in cyberspace. Students should be aware that there are a number of fraudulent sites intended to deceive the unquestioning user, regardless of their age or education.