Earlier today, some Socket email users received a message purporting to be from Socket Webmail. The message notified recipients that their account had been suspended and instructed them to click a link in order to reinstate it. This message was not sent from Socket. If you received it, please disregard the message and delete it from your inbox.

Phishing can result in some real headaches. A phisher can use the personal information obtained to send spam emails from your account, access bank accounts, make fraudulent purchases or open new accounts.

Therefore, it's important to be cautious when you receive emails that appear to be legitimate requests from reputable companies.

Here are some tips on identifying phishing emails:

Businesses should never ask you to submit personal information via email. If they do, forward the email to the business to verify its validity, or contact them via phone or in person.

Look for phishing characteristics. Phishing messages often contain spelling, grammatical or other errors. See examples of phishing emails or check a suspicious email online at www.phishtank.com.

Exercise caution when clicking links in an e-mail. Links can be masked to direct you to a different website than the one listed. Hold your mouse over the link and look at the bottom of your browser window to see if the links match. If not, it could be a scam. When in doubt, type links directly into your address bar to be sure you are visiting the intended website.

Use a spam filter and antivirus software to minimize phishing emails. A spam filter can block many phishing emails from entering your inbox. Utilize an antivirus program to protect against unwanted files that could rob you of personal information.

Take just a few minutes to learn about phishing and how to protect yourself. Your chances of falling victim to a costly scam will be greatly minimized.