Phishing has grown from being a humble nuisance to become the international electronic crime of choice for amateurs and professionals. Frequently operated by organized criminals in Russia, Brazil and other nations, they tend to concentrate on credit card and bank account theft schemes. In its simplest form, phishing involves sending out fake e-mail messages that ask recipients to enter personal information, such as bank account numbers, PINs or credit card numbers, into forms on Web sites that are designed to mimic bank or e-commerce sites. (E-Week 3/7/05)
http://garydfoster.com