Now ask yourself a question, do you really think that the FBI would ask for information? I have this strange feeling that they really do not need to ask for it, they probably already have it, and if they need it they can get it. Next ask yourself, why would your bank need to ask you for your account number with that bank? If I was ever asked that by my bank legitimately, I would change banks very fast. I would hope that they could find my account number if they needed it.

The technique that is described above is called ‘phishing’. It basically means the same as the sport fishing or throwing out bait and waiting for the something to bite. People send out thousands of emails in several hours waiting for people to click on fake links on the email. The links will look like a normal hyperlink, such as http://www.bank.com, however, after you click on the link it will normally send you to a website that is not run by a bank. It will look like http://216.99.225.31/infoform.htm. These web sites normally will only stay active for several hours. They look very much like bank websites, using the same graphics and verbiage as other pages on the real bank’s site. They even have links to the legitimate site.

If at any time you feel uncomfortable with the information you are entering via a website, call the business. They should not mind confirming that the information is truly for them. A second route that you can take is by confirming the certificate that the website is using. All major websites have certificates from agencies that verify the company is using secure methods to transfer data to and from there servers. You can easily see this information in the bottom of the browser window. At the bottom right hand corner you should see an image of a lock, if you click on the lock you will see information directly from one of the major certificate issuers. Make sure that the information is valid, if for any reason it does not look legitimate you should not type anything on the page. You may not be sending information to the website in a secure environment.

Phishing is a technique that not many people fall for. However, when someone does, they could experience the worst time of their life. Anything from false charges on credit cards to car purchases can be made with the information collected. If you suspect that you may have entered information on a website, or would like more information about Identity theft, contact your bank. They will have a department that specializes in detecting and protecting against this very serious crime.

Always remember that ultimately you are the one responsible for the information that you provide over the internet.