[The following articles was copied from the "This Just In" section of Life@Wayne – February 9, 2006]
You probably have found yourself in this situation: You receive an e-mail from PayPal or CitiBank, for instance, about suspicious activity on your account or a pending credit card charge. You're asked to verify information or decline the charge by clicking a link to a Web site.
If you click that link, then supply an ID or password on the counterfeit Web site, you put a lot at risk: your personal identity, finances and the safety of your computer. You just got hooked by the bait; you've been phished.
For more information on phishing and links to a field guide, what to look for in questionable e-mails and quizzes to test your knowledge, visit Computing & Information Technology's Web site at computing.wayne.edu/phishing.