William, a retired teacher in Florida, U.S.A., received an e-mail he thought was from his Internet service provider. The e-mail said that his billing information had been lost. William filled out the attached form and e-mailed it back. Unknown to him, his personal data went to Shiva, a criminal in Queens, New York. The next day, Shiva used William’s credit card number to buy a photo ID printer on the Internet. The e-mail William received was one of 100,000 Shiva had sent out. Investigators say that about a hundred people responded and were duped.

Many fraudulent contacts on the Internet take place through e-mail. The kind of e-mail William received is called a phishing e-mail. Like baiting fish, such e-mail coaxes the recipient to supply his password, credit card numbers, or bank account information to an authentic-looking but fake Web site. Con men may get your e-mail address by using a computer program called an e-mail extractor.

Some such phishing e-mails can accomplish their aim even if you do not enter data. Your action of opening an e-mail can insert spy software. These programs can record your computer activity. Some of them log keystrokes on your computer in order to steal your passwords and personal information. Others redirect you to a fraudulent site. Is there anything you can do to protect yourself?

What You Can Do

Beware of e-mails that contain suspicious links. Sometimes, a Trojan horse, or Trojan, can provide backdoor access to your computer system, which may allow scammers to have access to your private information. Forums, pornographic sites, Web sites offering software from an unknown source, and social networking sites are also places where con men go to get precious data and plant spy programs to steal information. Also, never respond to e-mails that promise profits that are too good to be true.

Perhaps you have received online messages stating: “Your computer is at risk! Click here to protect your computer!” Or, “Free Screensavers. Click Here.” If you click there, you could activate spy software.

If you are looking for a job on the Internet, beware. Scammers use phony online sites to collect “registration fees” and even personal financial data.

Phishing e-mail: E-mail that coaxes the recipient to supply his password, credit card numbers, or bank account information to an authentic-looking but fake Web site