419

A lot of people today are still oblivious to the term "Internet Security". Although most people have heard the words "hacking" and "virus", many are still unaware of the real risks in internet transactions. Even in the cyberworld, theft is abundant, and in some cases even a form of organized crime. Scamming has been around for as long as we can remember. With the dawn of online communication, it has become even easier to prey on unsuspecting individuals without even being seen. Actual physical absence allows people to hide under different profiles, while manipulating their victims for personal gain. Commonly known as the 419 fraud, this exists not only in Nigeria where it became popular, but all over the world.

In our country, one can even witness these scams firsthand in online roleplaying games. The basic concept is still in tact. The victim is tricked into giving small valuables in hope for much larger returns, which is ofcourse met with much dismay. Although nonexistent gold is stolen from nonexistent people, this is but an example of how far man would go to exploit their own. In the real world, much of this happens across oceans without even sounding any alarms. Even in the countries where fraud and identitiy theft is abundant, there is little that authorities can do to control it. This only proves to show that the sea of internet users has widened far beyond control, with the evils of society along with it. With this much going on under our noses at a daily rate, its hard not to be cynical.