The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name. The message directs you to a Web site that looks just like a legitimate organization's site, but it isn't. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The message usually says that you need to 'update' or 'validate' your account information. Phishers often send an email that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with-your Internet Service Provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. But if you understand how phishing works and how to protect yourself, you can help stop it from happening to you.

They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel. With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name. It is pronounced 'fishing,' and that is exactly what these thieves are doing: 'fishing' for your personal financial information like account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to loot your checking account or run up bills on your credit cards One way thieves can steal your identity is through phishing.

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