Don't be fooled by 'phishy' e-mails sent by scammers

RE: your pharmaacy Prescription #1234557

An important Secure Message has been sent to you.

Get a free Compatibility Profile

Regarding your recent eBay payment.

These are just four of the many e-mails -- complete with misspellings -- currently sitting unread in my spam folder. Sometimes they sneak past my Internet provider's spam filter, and I almost always have to do a double take. Did I just reorder a prescription? An important Secure Message. Hmmm. What could it be? And a free Compatibility Profile? I kinda like the relationship I'm in right now, thank you very much.

I don't open these e-mails. And neither should you. They're "bait" sent by scam artists "phishing" for your personal information, such as credit card and bank account numbers.

To avoid getting hooked, the Federal Trade Commission, which partners with your Better Business Bureau, advises:

* Don't reply to e-mail or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information, and don't click on links in the message. Don't cut and paste a link from the message into your Web browser -- phishers can make links look like they go one place, but that actually send you to a different site.

* Some scammers send an e-mail that appears to be from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a "refund." Because they use Voice over Internet Protocol technology, the area code you call does not reflect where the scammers really are. If you need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card.

* Use antivirus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.

* Don't e-mail personal or financial information.

* Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.

* Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from e-mails you receive, regardless of who sent them.

* Forward phishing e-mails to spam@uce.gov -- and to the company or organization impersonated in the phishing e-mail. You also may report phishing e-mail to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, a consortium of ISPs, security vendors, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, uses these reports to fight phishing.

* If you've been scammed, visit the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Web site at ftc.gov/idtheft.

Luanne Kadlub is the BBB media specialist. For more trustworthy advice from the BBB on consumer scams, go to www.bbb.org or call (970) 484-1348.