The author addresses the legislation and legal protection applicable to electronic commerce and then describes various abuses of electronic commerce that occur in purchases at a distance, criminal offenses related to electronic commerce, and forms of abuse of payment cards, which, with the use of the so-called "plastic money," have joined the frauds related to the abuse of payment instruments. The article discusses why abuse of payment cards occurs, the consequences of frauds, and protections against this type of fraud. The role of law enforcement agencies in countering this type of crime is also considered. The paper concludes with recommendations for safe electronic commerce and describes some security techniques for more efficient protection in the electronic world. 25 references