Practically, any fraudulent activity that is committed mainly through the use of a computer can be considered computer fraud. But the most common form of computer fraud is committed on the Internet, since it is the most convenient for many criminals, given its global reach and anonymous nature.

Internet fraud can involve anything from redirecting the user to genuine-looking fraudulent websites for "phishing" purposes–i.e., to gain user names, passwords, personal information such as name, address, telephone or social security numbers, or credit card information–to email scams, where the criminal generally assumes another real or fictitious identity and asks for money, usually promising future material gain for the victim, or romance scams, where criminals prey on emotionally vulnerable singles and try to get their money for all kinds of excuses.

Whenever you are contacted by an unknown person, whether through email, a social networking or an online dating site, always be cautious. Even if they don’t ask for money, they might be looking to commit online fraud by getting your personal information, which can lead to identity theft, i.e. the criminal or a third party assuming your identity, which can cause catastrophic material and emotional losses for you. Be prudent; if you don’t know the person you are talking to or who contacted you online, it’s always better to err on the side of caution.

And keep in mind that the Internet is generally not a safe place to share sensitive personal information even with those you do trust, since data transfers through email or instant message can easily be intercepted by unauthorized third parties.