• Never reply to email, instant messages, or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information. Legitimate organizations never ask for personal or financial information via email. Don't even click on the links in the message or cut and paste a link from message in your web browser. This is because phishers can make links look like they go to one place while in fact they send you to another site! How "phishy" is that?!?

• Ignore anything with a typo or bad grammar. After all, your bank would never send you a note about "loosing your finansial reccords."

• Use a spam filter. Spamcop offers a superb junk mail filter that actually reports your spam and submits the spam that you receive as well. They also offer a free spam reporting feature that allows you to submit your spam. Spamcop than automatically reports the spam.

• If you need to call an organization that you do business with be sure to call the number on your financial statement or on the back of your credit card. Some fraudsters send an email that appears to from a legitimate business and ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a "refund." The area code you call does not reflect the actual location of the scammers. This is because the crooks use Voice over Internet technology to disguise their true location.

• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software as well as a firewall. Be sure to update them regularly, as internet security software is only as good as the last update. This is because Internet security companies are constantly playing a cat and mouse game to detect the newest viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. You will be glad to know that there are free anti-spyware, anti-virus, and firewall software available for download on the Internet. Maximum PC actually suggests you have have Spybot Search & Destroy in addition to two other anti-spyware programs installed on your computer.

• Don't email personal or financial information.

• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you see them to check for any unauthorized charges. Better yet, check your credit card and bank statements online on a regular basis to ensure that no unauthorized charges have been made. If your bank account or credit card statements are late call them to check your account balance and to ensure they still have your correct address.

• Be cautious of opening any attachment or downloading any files from any email you receive, even if you know the person who sent them.

• If you cannot resist visiting the site linked in the email, provide them with a password that you know to be false. If the site excepts this password you will know that it is not legitimate.

Following these tips will definately help protect you from becoming the next victim of a phishing scam.