A research-report published in October 2005 has revealed that fear of personal information being stolen online is making users vary of spending too much time on the Internet.

According to the survey that was based on responses of about 1500 web-users, 80% of the respondents were concerned about the issue of identity theft and 90% revealed that they had made at least one change in their online behaviour to protect themselves.

25% of the respondents had stopped online purchases and over 30% had reduced online shopping.

While, identity theft on the Internet may be on the rise, it is impossible to do without the Internet in today’s world. Thus, while one cannot avoid the Internet, one can take necessary precautions to reduce the chances of having their identity stolen online.

Cases of identity theft in the state of Arkansas rose 15% in 2005 to a record 1617 as compared to 1397 in 2004. Credit card fraud formed the major chunk of the cases and was at a high of 30% of all related frauds. The cities most affected by ID theft were >Little Rock, Fayetteville, Hot Springs,Fort Smith and Springdale.

The favourite channel for ID fraudsters was the Internet and they enticed customers through emails or by making them register on websites.

The lesson to learn is that one needs to be very careful, while giving out ones details over the phone or the Internet. Please also exercise due caution while registering or making payments on websites that you do not trust. Do not get fooled by look alike or gimmick websites, which are specifically designed to steal your personal information for the purpose of committing fraud.

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