We've all heard of people falling victim to an Internet crime. But many of us assume it'll never happen to us. It's easier for the bad guys to take advantage of you than you might think.

CBS 11 News talks to the experts on how you can protect your identity--and your money.

Alaska is uniquely connected to the Internet. It is our window to shopping and socialization in the Lower 48 and beyond. But every time we log on, we open ourselves up not only to tons of information, but also to criminals.

When most of us log onto the Internet we're thinking about why we're there: buying a new pair of shoes, balancing our checkbook or chatting with friends. We don't necessarily think about the risks of each keyboard click.

The biggest risk we face on the Internet is losing our money and identity.

The price of your identity on the black market?

    Only $3.

It doesn't sound like much. But the real value comes when the hacker can convert your information into cold, hard cash.

How?
By using your passwords.

Those secret combinations of letters and numbers are the only things that can convert your financial information into financial profit.

"Secure it just like you would cash, valuables, credit cards, jewelry. Because that's what it is: your online cash, valuables and credit cards," said FBI Special Agent Clark Harshbarger.

Another way criminals get their hands on your money is e-mail. Experts say if you don't know the person asking for money or information, don't send it.

"What's frightening to me is something that seems like common sense. And it's definitely common sense in the real world. Who's going to walk up to you or I and say, 'Can I have $2,700 for a plane ticket?' and disappear and never see it again? No one is going to give them the money. Nobody. But on the Internet, for some reason, everybody thinks that they can trust everybody else," said Harshbarger.

The bottom line: if you're not working within a secure site, suspect everyone, because you never know who is at the other end waiting to pounce on your vital information.

"There is a lot of scary and dangerous things out there. It's not that much different from the real world. In fact, it's identical to the real world," said Harshbarger.

As long as we keep that in mind, the Internet can be our friend, instead of our foe.

If you use a laptop to log on, there are even more risks. The FBI suggests getting a router. Otherwise, everything you do on the Internet is wide open for the world to see.

Internet service providers here in Alaska are not required to keep logs on Internet use, but most do voluntarily. So if anything bad happens, the crime might be able to be traced back to the source.

For More information:

To contact Andrea, call 907-273-3186.