The number of Internet frauds that one hears about on a daily basis makes one wonder whether the Internet banking options that most banks provide today are safe or not. With hackers breaking into the most safe and secure sites, one is forced to think about the safety of the hard earned money that one has deposited or invested in various banks and funds. These days almost every financial institution provides us with an Internet log in option and Internet baking has become so popular that one hardly sees anyone going to the bank physically. Almost all the transactions that one can think of can be done via Internet banking approvals and protocols. From requesting for a check book, checking balance, reporting fraud, asking for a statement or transferring money to a third party account, all the tasks can be handled by using Internet banking. To add to the whole online trend, investment companies and sites that allow for stock trading also provide the option of using Internet banking. While a large number of people offer Internet banking services and a large number of customers opt for them too, there are some precautions that you should take to ensure the safety of your money. - Try and not use a shared computer when you are accessing your Internet banking option. If you really have to, make sure that cookies are not enabled for the site. - Use good anti-virus software and ensure that you keep updating the same from the merchant site so that you can avoid spywares that can steal your user id and password. - Always use a secure site for Internet banking. - Beware of fraudulent mails that ask you for your bank account details and Internet banking id and passwords even if they seem like mails from the bank.