Could You Be Fooled By A Phony E-mail?

Of the many Internet threats you face while surfing the Web, one of the more notorious is what is known as a "phishing" attack. Although these types of attacks can be carried out in a variety of ways, perhaps the most common form involves the use of e-mail.

The scam works like this: You receive an e-mail purportedly from your bank or similar organization that asks you to verify personal information-usually via a link in the e-mail. Of course, the e-mail is a fake. If you do what it asks, your sensitive information will be stolen and you'll find yourself the victim of a phishing attack!

Question is, how can you tell the difference between legitimate e-mail correspondence from trusted institutions and phony e-mails from the perpetrators of phishing attacks? It's not always easy, which is why several reputable Web sites have created helpful quizzes to test your ability to do just that and help you stay one step ahead of the phishers.

Think you couldn't be fooled? Before you answer, take these quizzes:

• OnGuard Online's Phishing Quiz
• PayPal's Can You Spot Phishing? challenge
• SonicWall's Phishing IQ Test

After taking these quizzes don't be surprised if you start looking at your incoming e-mails with a more critical eye!