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Internet's Inventor Discusses How He Got Scammed Online

by Terrence O'Brien on March 16, 2009 at 02:55 PM

Inventor of the Internet Taken in by Online Scammers
Have you ever been taken-in by a scam or a fraudster online? Don't feel too bad about it, since apparently even Tim Berners-Lee, the man often credited as the inventor of the Internet, has fallen victim to online fraud.

Sir Berners-Lee purchased a Christmas present online, but when the gift never arrived he realized he had been conned. He called the toll free number on the site, only to hear a recorded message informing him that the number he dialed was not in use, which shows that even MIT professors are guilty of failing to perform due diligence from time to time.

The Internet pioneer has since used this anecdote to encourage strict enforcement of laws to protect netizens and online shoppers. He says that some new laws are needed, but first we should be focusing on enforcement of those already on the books.

Of course, Sir Berners Lee should just swing by Switched every so often for advice on how to avoid getting scammed or infected with spyware. Perhaps he could have even avoided this whole mess to begin with. [From: Telegraph]

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Tags: scam, tim berners-lee, TimBerners-lee, top

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