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Date Posted: 05:58:19 01/29/04 Thu
Author: Dummy
Subject: Scammers Go "Phishing" for Identity and Financial Information

Scammers Go "Phishing" for Identity and Financial Information
The federal government is warning of a sophisticated e-mail scam called "phishing," which involves scaring consumers into revealing financial information.

In the scam, potential victims are sent an e-mail from an apparently legitimate financial institution. The messages often warn that a bank account has been fraudulently accessed or frozen by federal authorities. The messages often contain links that take the e-mail recipients to authentic-looking websites and then ask the victims to verify their identities.

The technique is called "phishing." Crooks can send out millions of e-mails for virtually nothing, hoping to net a few incautious individuals.

It happened to Suzan Davis, a freelance writer in Granite Bay. An e-mail warned that her account had been suspended under the provisions of the Patriot Act. She was asked for key pieces of information, including her Mother's maiden name, Social Security number, and bank account numbers.

Davis was suspicious of the e-mail she received, so she never gave out any information about herself. The experience has left her wondering how many victims might have fallen for the scam. "Obviously there must be some success or they would not do it." she said.

Federal officials advise that banks and credit card companies already have personal information for their account holders, and have no reason to ask for online verification. They recommend that consumers never share personal information without being absolutely sure of where it is going and how it will be used.

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