A new study by researchers at North Carolina State University shows that most Internet users are unable to distinguish genuine pop-up warnings messages from false ones – even after repeated mistakes. The problem here is that the fraudsters rely on us to click "OK" rather than close the pop-up window, with rather different and dangerous consequences. (New Study Highlights Risk of Fake Popup Warnings for Internet Users)

Similarly, we can be scared into buying services that we don't need. Microsoft and the Attorney General's office in Washington state said they have filed a handful of lawsuits over pop-up ads that scare consumers into paying for software that supposedly fixes critical errors on a PC.

The lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's office alleges a Texas firm sent incessant pop-up ads that falsely claimed the computer had critical errors in its registry and directed people to a Web site where they could download free scanning software to find the problems.

The software then reports 43 critical problems and offers to sell a fix for $39.95. However, the software, dubbed "Registry Cleaner XP," does nothing but lull the consumer into a false sense of security, officials said. (Microsoft, Washington state sue over 'scareware' pop-up ads)

We also read that the majority (60 percent) of 207 London residents were happy to hand over computer password data which might be useful to potential ID thieves in exchange for a £5 store gift voucher. (Brits happy to hand over password details for £5 gift voucher)

We can be fooled, we can be scared and we can be bought. That's human beings, whether in the home or on the internet. This month we look at initiatives taken by national nodes in dissemination of internet safety through "training the trainers" schemes. Instead of taking the message directly to our audience, the message is spread from the nodes via others who are trained by them. These trainers are our ambassadors and usually professionals already involved in dissemination or education. In this way, what is important gets to more people more quickly. Through increased awareness - and that is our job - we can hope to make all of us a little less vulnerable to the failings of our own humanity.