MADISON, Wis. -- There is a growing danger on the Internet.

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Dangerous Phishing On The Internet

It's called "phishing."

Its goal is to trick computer users into giving up their personal information, television station WISC reported.

The ploy can be from a false e-mail that directs users to fake Web sites. The fake often looks very much like the real thing. Internet experts say millions of phishing lines are cast across the Internet every day.

"They want their bank accounts, their passwords, their Social Security numbers," said University of Wisconsin Credit Union Director of Marketing Mary Hanneman.

Hanneman advised customers that their banking institution would never ask for personal information over the Internet.

Some of the easiest fake e-mails to believe are one from Paypal saying the company flagged your account, or another from a bank saying you will lose online access unless you verify your information.

"It's very difficult for you to tell the difference, and very difficult for us to tell the difference, because it's very sophisticated e-mail you get," said NameProtect CEO Mark McLane.

At NameProtect, 100 computers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week searching for subtleties that indicate a phishy e-mail.

After the tsunami in December, the numbers spiked.

"Over a weekend, we found 170 suspicious sites, which we forwarded to the FBI," said McLane.

The key to cracking the phishy code is to compare the address bar. If the web address has numbers, it is most likely phishy.

McLane says his company is taking down as many of these sites as it can to protect consumers and e-commerce.

"If you don't trust the e-mail you receive, the growth of the online environment will be slowed down," said McLane.

More than 1 billion phishy e-mails are sent out each month, the station said.

The Web site Antiphishing.org will show you what false things to be aware of. To protect yourself, never open a suspicious e-mail. If you do, don't fill out any forms or click on any links. Instead, contact the actual business, but be aware the number in the e-mail is often fake as well, the station reported.

When you do give out personal information online, look for a padlock in the bottom right corner of your browser window. That means your information is on a secure connection.