Of course, understanding the risks and knowing how fraudsters might trick you is a critical step in protecting yourself online. Here are some threats to watch for:

Phishing—Lures you to a fake website (one that looks like a trusted financial institution, for example) and tricks you into providing personal information, such as account numbers and passwords.

Pharming—Similar to phishing, pharming seeks to obtain personal information by directing you to a copycat website where your information is stolen, usually from a legitimate-looking form.

Malware—Short for malicious software, often included in spam e-mails, this can take control of your computer without your knowledge and forward to fraudsters your personal information such as IDs, passwords, account numbers and PINs.

You can make your computer safer by installing and updating regularly your

Anti-virus software
Anti-malware programs
Firewalls on your computer
Operating system patches and updates

Presented by the American Bankers Association