During the campaign, these organizations said they would educate consumers on how to identify phishing scams; how to avoid becoming a victim; and how to report a suspicious e-mail. Comprehensive phishing resources will be available on the Internet for consumers at www.bbb.org/phishing, www.callforaction.org, www.consumer.gov/idtheft, and www.visa.com/phishing.

Phishing is an email scam in which fraudsters attempt to convince consumers to reveal personal information — such as their credit or debit account numbers, checking account information, Social Security numbers, and banking account passwords — through official-looking fake websites or in a reply email.

“Only phonies phish for info,” said Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Mr Hunter, who spoke at the press conference to launch the campaign, advised consumers to protect themselves by following one simple rule: “When in doubt, delete.”

According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, phishing scams grew 178 percent from March to April of 2004. Connecticut is not immune from this epidemic. Paulette Hotton, president of the BBB of Connecticut, said that consumers contacted the bureau daily with questions about suspicious emails

“Unfortunately, we do hear from many who report that they may have already responded to an official-looking email and are concerned. We are eager to reach them before they are lured by cyber-thieves into transmitting personal financial information,” said Ms Hotton.

Many financial institutions use email to communicate with customers and direct them to their web siteswhere the customers may be asked to enter personal information as part of registering for a service, such as online banking or accessing account information. However, if the email was not initiated in response to an action by the consumer, it is a good idea to go directly to the organization’s website by entering the website’s address (URL) rather than linking to it from an email.

“These ‘phishers’ are sailing under false colors,” said Howard Beales, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They’re deliberately misrepresenting themselves just to get their hooks into consumers’ personal and financial information. Like fish that’s been around for a few days, this practice really stinks. If consumers aren’t careful, they could find themselves the fish of the day,” he added.

The Better Business Bureau and its partners recommend consumers protect themselves by doing the following:

Treat unsolicited email requests for financial information or other personal data with suspicion. Unsolicited means the email was not initiated in response to an action by the consumer. Do not reply to the unsolicited email or respond by clicking on a link within the unsolicited email message.

Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the email to verify if it is genuine. Visit a secure website or call a phone number that you know to be legitimate.

Only enter personal information on a secure website that you know to be legitimate. Visa or your card issuer would never ask you to send Social Security numbers, account numbers, passwords, or PINs within an email message. When entering personal data at a website, look for a “locked padlock” in the browser or “https” at the beginning of the website address to make sure the site is secure.

Update antivirus software and security patches to system software regularly. Phishing emails can contain viruses that may harm a computer if opened.

Be cautious. Check all monthly statements to verify all transactions. Notify your bank immediately of any erroneous or suspicious transactions.

Forward any suspicious emails to the Federal Trade Commission at uce@ftc.gov or file a complaint with the FTC at www.ftc.gov. Unsolicited emails claiming to be from Visa or your Visa card issuer can be sent to phishing@visa.com.

Call For Action will help victims of identity theft by providing counselors through a toll-free hotline sponsored by Visa. The toll-free number is 866-ID-HOTLINE.

The FTC maintains a comprehensive website — www.consumer.gov/idtheft —that contains consumer and business education materials about identity theft. Consumers can learn how to prevent identity theft and what to do if their identity is stolen. They can also file identity theft related complaints with the FTC at 877-ID-THEFT.