Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. Individuals steal other people's personal information to use for illegal purposes. This personal information can be obtained in a variety of ways; however, the victim may actually hand over the information willingly, without suspecting any foul play. This is usually done through a tactic known as phishing. The victim receives an e-mail (usually) or even a phone call requesting various pieces of vital information - Social Security Numbers, password, account numbers etc. These e-mails can be extremely difficult to detect as they closely resemble legitimate companies.
So how do you determine if an e-mail is legitimate or "phishy"? There are a few common characteristics of phishing e-mail:
The e-mails are usually from someone pretending to be a legitimate retailer, bank, organization or government agency
The sender asks you to confirm personal information
Website links appear legitimate but actually take you to a different website
If you receive an e-mail that you feel is legitimate, open your web browser and type in the actual URL of the company rather than clicking on the email link. You can also call the company directly to question the request for information. Most companies have very strict policies and will never ask for your account information, password or other personal information in an e-mail. When in doubt, please err on the side of caution.
For more information on identity theft and phishing, visit http://www.fraud.org