What is phishing?

Phishing is a common type of email fraud where the perpetrator send unsuspecting users a message asking for some personal information.

The email often starts by stating there is some time of problem with your account, and that the site needs you to re-enter some personal information to correct the problem. There will be a link to a webpage where you can enter the information. This webpage will be made to look like a legitimate banking site (eg., PayPal), but note that the Web address won't be for the real company's website!

Many identify theft cases start out with phishing emails. In the U.S. alone, there were over 8 million cases of ID theft in 2007.

Use these 4 tips to avoid phishing scams and protect yourself from identity theft:

1. Recognize and ignore phishing emails -- Never reply to emails (or click on the links in the email) asking you to enter sensitive information on a website. Legitimate banking institutions will never ask you to do this.
   
   
2. Check the Web address -- If you do have to enter sensitive information on a website, check the Web address in the location bar to make sure you are indeed at the bank's website instead of a hacker's personal server. For example, if you think you are at the PayPal website, make sure the URL starts with www.paypal.com.
   
   
3. Check statements regularly -- Check your banking and credit card statements monthly. Look for any suspicious purchases, and let your bank or credit card company know immediately if you find any fraudulent activity.
   
   
4. Act quickly if you're a victim -- Check out the FTC's website about identity theft for what you can do if you do fall victim to a phishing scam.

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