Phishing

Fraudulent emails purporting to be from you bank or a similar trusted source lures you to a copycat website (one that may look just like your bank’s site). Once there you are instructed to “verify” certain personal information, which is then used to hijack your accounts and your identity. If you receive a suspicious email, delete the message and call your bank to inform them of the email.

Pharming

Also called “domain spoofing”, this cyber crime intercepts Internet traffic and re-routes it to a fraudulent site. Once there, the victim is asked to enter personal information, just as with Phishing.

Malware

This is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner’s knowledge. Examples of malware (malicious software) include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and adware.