The Internet bites back at unwary customers

It wasn't a great week for the prophets of the Internet . . . those ardent advocates who see the solution of all our needs and dreams in cyberspace.

First of all, Microsoft's vaunted free e-mail service, Hotmail, was hit by hackers. Getting into the software, they were able to bypass the need for passwords and send, receive and delete messages at will on the service, which is used by 40 million people, including about 200,000 in the Republic. Then, Australia's consumer association magazine, Choice, recounted the tale of 233 investors who committed themselves to investment packages, worth between 10,000 and 50,000 Australian dollars (€6,051-€30,257) on an Internet promotion in Swiss Millennium Bug Insurance.

Too late, they discovered the site was a fake. Fortunately for the gullible investors, it had been set up by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to illustrate the threat from unscrupulous traders and the need for caution when dealing over the Internet.