A YouGov survey has estimated that UK internet users have a collective £361bn which could be available to online criminals.

The survey of 1,942 surfers found that the average person had funds of £10,077 that could be accessible to online fraudsters. This includes money contained in banking, gaming and shopping accounts.

Nearly two thirds of respondents access their bank account online, 58 per cent use online retailers and just under a third share personal information on public websites.

Jon Kerr, SSL manager at VeriSign UK, which commissioned the survey, said: "It is no surprise that online banks and retailers are some of the most popular targets for identity theft since so many personal details are required by users.

"As online transactions increase, we need to acknowledge the importance of technology and consumer behaviour in protecting personal details and monetary assets online."

Nearly half of UK users claim to have suffered from online fraud, and 78 per cent are worried that they could be affected.