INTERNET FRAUD: CYBER ENTERTAINMENT THAT "CLEANS" BANK ACCOUNTS WORLDWIDE

There are various forms of Internet frauds, and since most of the perpetrators belong to the younger population, it seems that this type of criminal activity has become even more and more fun for younger people with great knowledge and practical skills in the field of information and communication technologies. There are many forms of this act, because of the many different modus operandi, so it is almost impossible to fully understand and to explain them, or even harder to prevent them. Common forms of Internet scams include so-called "Valentine" scams, "chain letters", pyramidal schemes, "wandering" merchants, charity transfers and lottery scams, while certainly one of the most commonly seen form we've encountered are so-called "Nigerian scams". In the Republic of Serbia, Internet fraud is not yet legally regulated as criminal acts. During 2008 and 2009, nine criminal offenses with elements of “Nigerian scam” were reported in the territory of the Republic of Serbia against unknown perpetrators, while at the global level, it is estimated that this particular kind of Internet fraud reached its top in 2009. In addition to defining and classifying the most common forms of Internet frauds, this paper also provides some practical tips on how to prevent victimization from fraudulent behavior on the Internet.