I get several e-mails a week from people overseas who want to deposit millions of dollars in my bank account. They're usually in desperate need of a reputable person like me to give them my bank account number, so they can transfer money out of their country and into my account. For this service I am entitled to a generous fee that is usually in the millions.

Sound familiar? Just about everyone with an e-mail address has received offers like this, usually from people claiming to be related to high government officials in Nigeria. The unlucky people who fall for this scam end up losing large sums of money. Along with all the good it has brought, the Internet has also opened new territory to scam artists and frauds. Here are three sites that will help you protect yourself against unscrupulous people who want to take your money.

Advance Fee Business Scams at travel.state.gov/scams.html . The information here is from the U.S. State Department, but it applies no matter what your nationality. It's a good primer on a certain type of Internet scam.

National Fraud Information Center at www.fraud.org/welcome.htm . This site details Internet fraud, telemarketing scams, fraud against the elderly, and much more.

Quatloos! at www.quatloos.com . What's a Quatloo? Read the explanation, then stay around to read the latest news and fraud alerts. Visit the Cyber-Museum of Frauds & Scams, and the Nigerian Scam Letters Gallery.

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