Phising's not phunny

They say a phool and his money are soon parted. The phraudulent practice of internet phishing is one way the crooks are phinding to get to that money.

Phishing, the practice of sending out official-looking e-mail in order to get people to give out very personal information, is on the rise again.

This morning when I came to work I found no fewer than three phishing attempts in my e-mail.

They all had the dressing of official mail: the look of the company they supposedly came from, a threat that something dire would happen if I didn’t take action immediately, and a link to an official-looking website where I could log into and verify my personal information.

All I would need to give them was my social security number, mother’s maiden name and my address and phone number. These are the very items someone would need to steal my identity!

Don’t be a victim of phishing. No - I repeat - no reputable company will send you an e-mail asking you to give out this information. Never respond to an attempt by e-mail to gain personal information from you.

What about criminal enforcement? The vast majority of phishing attempts are from outside the United States. Therefore it is virtually impossible to stop them.

It is up to you, the consumer, to protect yourself from phishing.

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