Phishing for Personal Data on MySpace

Here's another thing to warn your kids about on MySpace: phishing scams.

PCWorld.com reports that a phishing site that gathered login and other person information from MySpace users was removed from a California server today.

Phishing attacks like this one are cleverly designed to trick users into clicking on a link that brings them to a look-alike MySpace Web page. There, unsuspecting members will type in login information, which can lead hackers to other personal data.

These kinds of invasions can be nearly impossible to detect. This one came in appearing as an instant message from a friends' list contact, asking them to click on a link to MySpace to view photos. Once they click on the link, they're on a convincing fake MySpace login page. A few more clicks, and they are turning over personal information to hackers, who could use it for identity theft.

Phishing scams comes in all shapes and sizes. So here are some tips for avoiding phishing scams from the Federal Trade Commission. 

Says Ross Paul, a senior product manager at security software maker Websense: The more information you give MySpace, the more at risk you would be if someone managed to get a hold of your login information.

You can never tell your kids this enough: Don't put personal dates and data on your Web sites. It's an invitation to trouble.