Fraud and identity theft are on the rise on the Internet, as you’ve probably heard.

Phishing scams are among the most common forms of fraud. They are fraudulent e-mail messages or Web sites designed to fool you into filling out forms that could be used to steal your personal or financial information or account passwords. 

How to help avoid phishing scams	Recognize a phishing scam when you see one
Approach links in e-mail with caution. Links in phishing e-mails will often take you to fraudulent Web sites.	You have won the lottery: E-mails that promise that you've won some type of sweepstakes or lottery are probably phishing scams.
Don't trust the sender information in an e-mail message. The "From" information could easily be spoofed so that the message looks like it comes from someone you trust, but is really a fake.	Misspelled Web addresses: When a Web site uses an Internet address (also called a "domain name" or "URL") that is similar to the Internet addresses of popular Web site or are common misspellings of popular Web sites, that could signify a phishing scam.
Type addresses directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks or Favorites. If you need to update your account information or change your password for a site, visit the site by choosing the bookmarked link from your Favorites list or by typing the URL directly into your browser.	Requests for account information: Scammers will often pose as companies or financial institutions asking for you to login and change your account information. They lure you to a phishing site and when you enter for user name and password, they record it.
Don’t enter personal or financial information into pop-up windows. One phishing technique launches a fake pop-up window when you click a link in a phishing e-mail message. Even if the pop-up window looks official or claims to be secure, avoid entering sensitive information, because there is no way to confirm that it is secure.	Personal donation requests: These scams are known as advanced fee fraud, Nigerian e-mail scams, or the 419 scam. Scammers hook you with the false promise of large sums of money for little or no effort on your part. Once you're deeply involved in the scam, you're asked to pay certain amounts of money to expedite the process.

Learn how you can help prevent phishing scams: