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TALLAHASSEE - Attorney General Charlie Crist today warned Florida consumers to be more alert in protecting themselves against new and more sophisticated activities regarding the wide-ranging scam known as "phishing." This type of theft lures victims into revealing personal information, such as financial account numbers, resulting in the looting of those accounts. For the first time, Crist said, consumers can get a first-hand look at actual "phishing" materials used by would-be thieves.

The Attorney General said consumers have received bogus emails from individuals falsely posing as representatives of Citibank, and Citibank has responded by posting several examples of "phishing" materials on its web site. The messages, sometimes complete with the Citibank logo, state that Citibank must now update its records monthly and ask for account numbers and personal PIN numbers of consumers. A variation of the scam requests the same information in order to verify the alleged unauthorized use of a Citibank card. More than a dozen of the items have been added to Citibank's site this month alone.

"As technology becomes an even greater part of our everyday lives, thieves are using new tools and techniques to steal from others," said Crist. "The best defense is greater awareness, and Floridians can protect themselves by learning all they can about these thieves and their high-tech tools."

The Attorney General’s Office issued the alert, which expands on a previous warning about "phishing," after learning that Citibank has included more than three dozen samples of actual "phishing" emails received by consumers in other parts of the country. The more sophisticated examples contain the logo of the well-known internet security provider VeriSign. Others feature the image of a padlock followed by the word "Secure" in an attempt to play on consumers' trust of instructions that carry the distinctive visuals of online security.

Last November 12, the Attorney General’s Office issued the first warning involving "phishing" or "carding." Today’s alert provides specific examples of this fraud that can serve as a warning not only to Citibank customers but also to those of other banks. Examples of these emails may be found at http://www.citibank.com/domain/spoof/report_abuse.htm. No Florida victims of this latest scam have been reported yet, and the Attorney General said he hopes this alert will prevent Floridians from falling prey.

"Consumers should never feel pressured to reveal their personal information," said Crist. "Their bank already knows passwords, account numbers and PINs and would not be asking for them through an email. Anyone receiving such a message should call their bank’s fraud department and may also report it to the Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline at 1-866-966-7226."

More information on "phishing" may be found on the Attorney General’s website at http://myfloridalegal.com/consumer through the "Protecting Yourself from Consumer Fraud" link.