Phishers use e-mail or pop-up messages to trick you into disclosing your credit card number, bank account information, social security number, passwords, PINs and other personal information. These scammers masquerade as legitimate businesses or organizations you deal with, such as your bank, Internet service provider, bill-pay service or a government office. The bogus e-mails direct would-be victims to a Web form that looks legitimate -- but isn’t. Victims enter their personal information and the scammers use it to run up bills or commit crimes in their names.

The best defense is to never click on any link sent to you in an e-mail, no matter how convincing the message. Instead, verify requests for personal information.

Think you can spot a phony? Take our phishing quiz and find out. We’ll show you two sites side by side. Select the site you think is a fraud. When you’re done, we’ll point out the subtle tells of phishy Web pages.