Is it Safe to Play Games Online?

Hey guys, I have a question for you today. Do you think that it is safe to play games online with unknown people? I have never played online before, and am wondering if it is safe to do so under any circumstances. I read a statistic that about 99.5% of gamers are just playing the game, and that means that out of 1000 people, 1 is out for more than the game. So I was just wondering what you guys think. Let me know if you have an answer!