'Net Scam #2: Phishing

I truly appologize for the large gap in my posts. As many of you may know, my wife has been pregnant for a while now...nine months to be exact. She has recently given birth, and, as of August 20th, we are the proud parents of Kathryn Lynn McValentine. Please excuse these gaps in posts, my dear readers, for I am back! If you recall, I am in the middle of revealing five of the Internet's most vicious scams.

2. Phishing Scams

The setup: You receive an e-mail that looks like it came from your bank, warning you about identity theft and asking that you log in and verify your account information. The message says that if you don't take action immediately, your account will be terminated.

What actually happens: Even though the e-mail looks like the real deal, complete with authentic logos and working Web links, it's a clever fake. The Web site where you're told to enter your account information is also bogus. In some instances, really smart phishers direct you to the genuine Web site, then pop up a window over the site that captures your personal information.

The risk: Your account information will be sold to criminals, who'll use it to ruin your credit and drain your account. According to Gartner, phishing scammers took consumers (and their banks, who had to cover the charges) for $1.2 billion in 2003.

The question you've gotta ask yourself: If this matter is so urgent, why isn't my bank calling me instead of sending e-mail?