However, local computer expert Martin Shelton, who owns Martin's Computer Service, said with a little commonsense everyone can protect themselves online.

These days most residents would use their computer or phone for activities such as work, banking, grocery shopping, gaming and even to stream movies and television shows.

Government impersonation scams are on the rise, with scammers also using the COVID-19 pandemic to target online shoppers and superannuation accounts.

Mr Shelton said it was important to be aware of how these scammers operated.

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He suggested never opening an email from an unknown sender, blocking pop ups on your browser and staying on trusted sites.

"Scammers can email and mail you, but generally it's not addressed to you, it's generic so don't open it," he said.

"You should never click into something that's wanting to confirm your bank details.

"Having a strong password is also a good idea. You'd be surprised at the amount of people who still use very basic passwords.

"You should also try and use different ones where you can. I believe it is okay to write these down on a piece of paper and put them somewhere safe at home."

Mr Shelton said by having the same password for different sites and accounts online can leave people open to hackers.

"All they need to do it work it out for one and then they can start accessing all kinds of things," he said.

"It's just about using commonsense when you are online.

"Basic internet security is also a good thing to have, but you don't need to spend a lot of money.

"I tell people it's just about being aware and if something sounds off, it probably is.

"The same goes with if something sounds too good to be true online, it's probably a scam."

Businesses should also have the basic software in place to protect themselves from these elements of modern society.

"They should have something in place, but I don't think hackers will be seeking out our small businesses out here in this area," Mr Shelton said.

It is important to remember scammers use all kinds of sneaky approaches to steal your personal details.

Once obtained, they can use your identity to commit fraudulent activities such as using your credit card or opening a bank account.

For more information and to stay up-to-date with the types of scams out there, visit www.scamwatch.gov.au.