While Shopsafe helps you stay safe when shopping online, Get Safe Online is national initiative to help you understand how to stay safe and secure on the internet at all times.

With the credit crunch biting there has been a rise in the number of internet scams as fraudsters attempt to prey on peoples’ worries about money.

Did you know that:

· 23 percent of UK internet users say that they, or their close friends and family, have fallen victim to phishing scams in the last year. This is up from eight percent the year before.

· The OFT estimates that three million UK consumers fall victim to scams sent by email, internet, post, text and the phone, collectively losing £3.5 billion.

· 36% have been affected by a computer virus

· Less than a third consider themselves to be up-to-date with internet security issues

· One in five have been victims of internet scams

You can find more information about how to protect yourself against internet scams by looking on the Get Safe Online blog here: www.getsafeonlineblog.org/scams-awareness-month.