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Identity Theft EmailDon't Get Caught In "Phishing" ScamsSpot identity theft email scams and protect your personal identity. The term "phishing" describes the use of bogus emails sent by unscrupulous marketers to harvest (steal) your personal information. This nefarious practice of phishing can take several forms, and you need to be aware of it. You could receive what looks like a legitimate email sent by a prominent bank or company you have an account with requesting that you immediately update your account information or saying that there's a problem with your account or that there has been some sort of suspicious activity in your account requiring your immediate attention. These bogus emails can appear quite legitimate and pretend to be from well known cable companies, satellite television providers, loan companies, insurance companies, and so on. For example, Ebay®, PayPal®, AOL®, Wells Fargo, J. P. Morgan Chase, and Wachovia are prominent corporate identities that have been "borrowed" at times by these fake emailers. Those who click on the link provided in the phishing email end up at a phony website where they are asked to update their accounts by revealing personal information that might include user names, passwords, account numbers, PIN and Social Security numbers. Some might be asked to download software for a so-called "protection" system that results in a virus being placed on the unsuspecting person's hard drive that not only infects the computer but tracks personal information and passwords. If you do your banking and/or pay bills online, know that no bank or legitimate company will ever send you an email out of the blue asking for your personal account information. If you receive a suspicious email that asks for your account information, simply delete it. Do NOT respond to it. If you are left feeling concerned about the status of your account, phone the local branch of the company, using a telephone number obtained from your telephone book (don't use any telephone numbers given in the suspicious email), and ask to speak with your account representative. Always remember: If something sounds "phishy," it likely is! Don't be fooled by identity theft email. TOP of Identity Theft Email RETURN to Identity Theft Facts HOME to Help With Debt
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