Being smart is not enough to protect yourself from online scamming. There are fake websites popping up every day. Identity theft and IRS scams are abundant and phishing attacks are the new black of online fraud. This may not be completely stopped, but there are ways to significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

Just last month the Ikea Gift Card Scam, took in over 70,000 victims. Only months before that, there was the Koobface Worm and the "IQ Quiz Ad".

As a site grows in popularity, its chance of being hit by a scammer increases. One does not need to be an idiot to be caught off guard and fall victim to one of these scams. But there are things one can do to protect himself when surfing the net.

When it comes to putting personal details and money online, information security is of paramount importance. One of the best ways to protect oneself is to stick to well-known websites. A reputable website will go to great lengths to ensure the safeguard of private information.

Online gaming sites, for example, are at very high risk of internet fraud. http://www.casino.com takes information security a step further than most.

They recently set up a risk department solely to protect their customers' intellectual property and financial assets from harm caused by fraud and other criminal activities.

When asked about the team, Manuel Rodriguez, Mansion's IT manager, commented, "Customer information is an important asset to our business. Mansion's main priority is to maintain its integrity."

You don't have to understand all the technology used behind a website, but it's best to understand which websites are well known and trustworthy.