Conmen are sending out so-called "phishing" emails purporting to be from struggling banks, and setting up fake CV websites, in order to lure web users into giving up personal information which can then be used for identity fraud.

The looming recession is also leaving people more susceptible to internet get-rich quick scams, according to the report by McAfee, the online security experts.

"Cyber-criminals are preying on fear and uncertainty and taking advantage of the fact that consumers are often more easily duped and distracted during times of difficulties," the Virtual Criminology Report 2008 report states. "Opportunities to attack are on the rise".

People should be wary about applying for jobs as such as "shipping managers" and "international sales representatives" at phoney online firms, as the roles often involve acting as mules in the money transfer operations of criminal gangs, the report's authors warned.

Matthew Bevan, a reformed hacker from Cardiff quoted in the report, said that some web users were letting their guard down because of their financial desperation.

"I'm sure we'll see attacks like this increase and they will keep increasing into next year," he said. "The credit crunch is also hitting the cyber-criminals – they'll be working even harder to make money."

The McAfee report also warned that international governments were failing to prioritise web security because issues such as the economy and terrorism had jumped back up the agenda.

Britain was one of dozens of countries to sign the Cybercrime Convention to promote better cross-border work by police forces seven years ago, but has yet to ratify the convention.

James Brokenshire, the shadow home affairs minister, called for the Government to push ahead with ratification and do more to clamp down on online criminals.

"If the Government doesn't take cybercrime seriously the criminal gangs will continue to see this country as a soft touch. If they think that, it makes us all even more likely to be the next victim of internet crime," he said.

Telegraph.co.uk