Her prize turned into a big scam. While scams online are both new and old, free standing and combinations, the Internet itself creates a whole new set of problems and opportunities for law enforcement and for criminals. There are millions of people online, with thousands of new users every day. Cisco systems highlights this growth in their current ad campaign. They point out that there are now more e-mails sent every day then regular mail, including junk mail.
Web sites abound offering both legitimate and fraudulent products and services.
Consumers often find it difficult to determine which site is truly legitimate and which one is trying to steal their hard-earned cash. Internet Fraud Watch and other groups attempt to educate consumers on how to spot a scam, but plenty of people find out too late. These victims are not without support. Federal and state law enforcement agencies have been extremely active on the Internet. During FTC sponsored surf days, agencies from all across the globe surf the Internet looking for possible fraud.