Every Internet user should know about spoof (a.k.a. phishing or hoax) e-mails that appear to be from a well-known company but can put you at risk.

Although they can be difficult to spot, they generally ask you to click a link back to a spoof web site and provide, update or confirm sensitive personal information. To bait you, they may allude to an urgent or threatening condition concerning your account.

What spoof e-mails are after

Even if you don't provide what they ask for, simply clicking the link could subject you to background installations of key logging software or viruses.

Learn about what you can do to protect yourself from getting spoofed.