Microsoft Addresses Phishing and Identity Theft

[Jeff G.]

Help Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Identity theft can start in the form of junk e-mail that tries to trick you into giving away personal information. Identity thieves do this by making their e-mail look official. These imposter e-mail messages, often referred to as “phishing” (pronounced fishing), are aimed at stealing your personal information. They may appear to come from MSN, Hotmail or other reputable sources and can look very real indeed. Once you’ve given them your personal information, however, thieves use it to access your credit accounts or create new accounts using your good name. Being alert and knowing the signs of these junk e-mail scams are the first steps you can take to help ensure your safety. To learn more, click here.

Those links redirect to MSN PC Safety & Security: Protect your privacy online at http://safety.msn.com/phishing/.