Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is urging all Texans to be on the lookout for official-looking e-mails purporting to originate from major financial institutions asking for personal account information.

In the latest series of so-called "phishing" scams, the e-mail sender claims to represent financial institutions, and the message instructs the "account holder" to submit personal account information because "financial institution officials" have reason to believe his or her account may have been accessed by an unauthorized party.

"I cannot emphasize this enough - Texans who receive such e-mails should immediately delete them because these tactics are used to trick you into releasing private information to someone who will try to empty your checking account," said Attorney General Abbott.

The phony e-mails scare the user into believing his or her account information may have been compromised to outsiders. The e-mails then instruct users to click on what appears to be an official link to their bank's Web site, then log in using their user ID and password in order to inspect their account for recent activity. At that point, the ID and password are stolen and used for purposes of identity theft.

Attorney General Abbott urges consumers who receive such e-mails to visit their personal financial institution’s Web site and access account information the usual way. He assures that banks and credit unions never send unsolicited e-mails to their clients in this manner, so it is always wise to avoid these e-mails and clickable links that can expose a consumer to fraud.

Consumers who believe they may have received such bogus e-mails may file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office by calling toll-free (800) 252-8011 or accessing the agency's Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us.

To protect yourself and your accounts from scams like this, remember always:

• Never access an organization’s Web site from a link provided in an e-mail, but only by typing in the actual URL.
• If you suspect an e-mail may be phishing, contact the organization’s customer support center immediately.
• Be very skeptical of “urgent” messages that require you to enter confidential information.
• Keep your Internet browser software up to date and use an anti-virus and anti-spam product.
• Check your online account balances and transactions regularly for any discrepancies.