We recently completed a case wherein our client paid $500,000 for a substantial software contract, the vendor's supposed abilities based largely on a professional web page. Our research turned up a tiny office and a staff of three itinerant web designers, with little or no business background to justify the awarding of the contract. The money was spent on a huge house for the owner, paid for in cash, and none was left for actual development of the project.

While this customer discovered the truth too late, we were able to ascertain the true owners and find assets that will be useful in court. The real trick in internet fraud is finding out who the real thief is... a name and address where the cuprit can be served and/or arrested.

Once these scoundrels are served, it's usually up to you, the victim, to actually find where your money went. CBI has a network of asset location specialists and property ownership databases to make restitution easier.

Maybe you've already retained the services of an attorney. If so, be aware. Most attorneys employ their own investigators, for the most part contract investigators. The law office then adds additional fees, sometimes doubling the actual cost of your investigative report.

CBI, on the other hand, has a multi-disciplined staff standing by, saving you time and money. We can usually start your case immediately, sometimes the same day! We can usually create a detailed dossier on the alleged thieves in the same amount of time, with important details to aid your case. Timing is crucial since assets can be moved and hidden just as fast. Our real-time access to key databases and asset location specialists mean your problem is our number one mission.

Our attorney offers you the choice of assigning your entire case to CBI, saving even more legal costs and further expediting your interests.

If you've been a victim, don't be too embarrassed to call. We may be able to recoup your losses, or at least make sure the thief can't victimize someone else.

Hackers illegally re-direct shoppers from a popular Web site to a second bogus one which the hackers have created.

Innocent electronic shoppers can be duped into paying for products which don't exist, and revealing their precious credit card details. The scam is just another inventive crime from cheats exploiting the Internet boom.

Electronic commerce represents the future, but holds many traps. In Australia, it could help to overcome distance by opening new markets and creating thousands of hi-tech jobs. But it could open the door to a flood of foreign imports and blow a $3 billion hole in our tax revenue.

The explosion of the Internet has already occurred locally, with more than four million Australian adults connecting to the Web last year.

About 10 per cent of these took the next step and used it to buy goods. But for Australian businesses, the initial signs are not good with local firms lagging behind the rest of the world, especially the United States, in Internet sales.

The worse news is that Australian Internet shoppers are turning their backs on local products. Seventy per cent of Australian Internet purchases are from abroad.

If this trend continues, it could be a huge blow to our economy. The Australian Taxation Office estimated last year in a submission to a parliamentary inquiry that the loss of revenue from Internet sales could be $2.8 billion a year.

The tax office predicted a potential huge drop in revenue as computer software, travel arrangements, books, magazines and compact discs were bought over the Web.

Thousands of Australian Internet shoppers are buying goods from foreign sites, which are delivered by mail, and escape sales tax. Only goods incurring sales tax of more than $50 have tax added. This means Internet shoppers can buy up to $189 worth of CDs, or $152 of jewellery or $152 of toys, tax-free.

The other major attack on the tax base is the electronic delivery of products such as music downloaded from the Internet. The Australian Government, with most other countries, has declared these transactions tax-free. It is an admission of defeat because this tax would be almost impossible to collect.

The Federal Government sees itself as leading the way in promoting e-commerce and late last year Prime Minister John Howard signed an agreement of co-operation with US President Bill Clinton. It is essentially a pact to make minimal intrusions on e-commerce and let the Internet boom continue.

Federal Communications Minister Richard Alston says up to 300,000 jobs should be created over the next decade through on-line activities.

But with "spoofing" and the looming problem of tax revenue losses, the government must soon make a crucial decision about policing the Internet. Senator Alston is set to get departmental advice next month on whether to set up a national authentication authority to supervise companies selling over the Internet.

The plan is for one authority to oversee the range of authentication certificates available.

These certificates, bought by businesses, claim to show they have a legitimate Web site which has not been "spoofed".

The government's discussion paper admits there is confusion about these certificates and a lack of trust among Internet users.

Setting up the authority might appear heavy-handed for a government committed to minimal interference.

The decision will be a vital test for the Howard Government and its e-commerce credentials as Internet shopping booms and the scams and tax problems appear bigger and bolder.

Click HERE to read a story about the dangers with Virtual Banking deals.