The Garda has joined forces with online auction site eBay in an effort to combat the growing problem of internet fraud.

At present, customers who feel they have been cheated or that their credit card details have been stolen need to contact both the Garda and eBay, potentially causing confusion.

This new initiative aims to harmonise the two approaches and improve communication. Representatives from eBay, including a retired Scotland Yard detective who spent 30 years on the force, visited Garda Headquarters in Dublin on Thursday to discuss the pooling of resources.

"This is a new type of medium where crime can be committed, so we want to highlight to the public how this can be prevented and if it does occur we want to know the best way to investigate it," said Det Supt Eugene Gallagher of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.

"We found it very useful. We discussed policy and structure, and what information we can exchange. That's something that we are going to have to tease out a bit further, so we can see what is available under the Irish legislation system."

Head of trust and safety with eBay UK Gareth Griffiths stressed that the best way to combat online fraud was to use secure payment systems, but if a crime is committed, it's essential that victims aren't hit by a brick wall of bureaucracy

"We do a few things to combat fraud, including education; we can teach people how to be more secure and we can use tools like Paypal. We can also enlist help; we talk to the police and so they understand how to use us; how we can help their investigations. If there's a complaint from a customer we can share data and hopefully catch the guy."

Ebay has recently set up an Irish portal, www.ebay.ie, and are establishing a dedicated unit to help Irish customers who may have been a victim of fraud.

"We've had a basic relationship with the Garda in the past, and this step is to make sure that they know what we're all about and that we're at the end of the phone," says Mr Griffiths.

The two major risks of online fraud are handing over money for goods that don't exist and the possibility of criminals gaining access to a victim's credit card details or bank account number.