• They pose as a familiar bank, retailer, or government agency to trick you into providing your financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, and other personal information. It often starts with an email that looks genuine.
• The message is urgent – you must confirm your information right away to avoid a problem. There’s a link to a phony Web site that looks just like that of whoever they’re impersonating. You enter your information – and hand it to identity thieves.
• Even sneakier, they secretly plant programs in emails, in attachments, and on Web sites to track your online activities and capture your account numbers and passwords.
• Never give personal information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly asking for it. Always check with whoever they claim to represent first.
• Protect your computer with anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a strong firewall, and update them regularly to keep ahead of the con artists. For more tips go to www.phishinginfo.org and www.staysafeonline.org.