"Phishing," the latest attempt by scammers to gain access to your financial information, is moving from email threats to telephone attacks. Consumers have reported cases of scammers calling their homes and requesting personal financial information over the phone, including bank account, credit card and PIN numbers.

Remember, the bank or credit card company already knows this information, and with almost all institutions, they would never ask for it over the telephone or email (Internet). I've received many phishing emails trying to confirm eBay accounts, PayPal information, Bank of America (even though I don't do my banking there), and other popular service companies used by millions. The trick to picking out a phishing scam from a legitimate inquiry is to be aware of the following:

• Obvious spelling/grammar errors
• Links to websites that don't begin with www.company.com
• Companies almost never ask for personal information via email

Visit the Anti-Phishing Working Group website (www.antiphishing.org) for more information on the latest scams, how to protect yourself from identity theft, what to do if you've fell victim, report scams, and other digital protective services and advice.

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