If you use the internet and have an email address, there is no doubt that you have received a fraudulent email asking you to verify your account information. Many criminals will pose as your bank or credit card company, and will ask for your information in order "verify" your account. In reality, once this information is provided, you are likely to become the victim of a fraud called phishing. This is one of the most notorious forms of internet fraud, and has seen a growth in recent years with the increase in email usage. Because it costs nothing to send out an email, it is possible to send out hundreds of thousands of emails within a short time.

However, as use of the internet continues to increase, more people will become the victims of fraud unless they take steps to permit it. Despite the fact that there have been many media reports about phishing, and people have been warned never to give sensitive information via email, many still do. This is why it is important to use ant phishing software which will stop you from becoming a victim. Many large companies such as AOL plan to fight the problem by charging customers to send out emails.