While most people are now aware of Internet scams known as "phishing", a staggering 1 million Americans are still victimized each year, according to the Gartner research firm. One reason why phishing continues to hook people is that the "phishers" are getting more sophisticated. In addition to using e-mails that look more and more like they come from legitimate financial institutions, scammers are now hacking into accounts such as online auction sites, where personal information, such as your credit card numbers, may be stored. Even more frightening is that phishers are now using many of the same techniques developed by virus writers, infecting your computer, then gathering your user name and password when you log in to banking or brokerage sites.

How can you protect yourself?