Beware of Bogus Offers and "Phishing"
Identity theft, email scams and other illegal activities have increased dramatically with the growth of the Internet. Scam artists and other criminals create elaborate but often believable schemes to defraud consumers, so it is critical to safeguard your personal information against any and all fraud.
Protect yourself: never give any personal information, including account numbers, PIN numbers, Social Security Numbers (SSN) or other data to anyone—even those claiming to be from your bank or credit card company—either over the phone or via e-mail. "Phishers" are thieves posing as legitimate creditors or service people from your bank or other entities. They may contact you via phone, e-mail or instant message claiming to be updating their records. Be careful. Learn more about phishing and how to protect yourself on the OnGuard Online Web site and on Wikipedia.
