1. If you receive an e-mail from a bank or other financial institution that you do not have a relationship with, and it asks you for a user name or password, it is a scam. Report the e-mail to AOL by clicking the Report Spam icon on the message.

2. Banks and other financial institutions have very strict policies about e-mailing their customers and will not ask for sensitive data by e-mail. Check the e-mail policy of your bank or financial institution. If the e-mail you received violates that policy, do not respond to the e-mail. Check Wells Fargo's Fake Emails and Web Sites page for details on how to avoid common scams targeting Wells Fargo customers.

3. Check the e-mail carefully for misspellings, requests for information that the bank already has, such as your account or Social Security numbers, and other suspicious signs that the e-mail could be a scam.

4. When in doubt, call your bank or log on to its Web site by MANUALLY entering the Web address in AOL or your browser. Do not click on any links contained in the e-mail you received.

Top 5 Phishing Scams Find Out What to Look Out For: PayPal Scam eBay Scam AOL Billing Scam Wells Fargo Bank Scam Amazon.com Scam Phishing & Scams Main

What to do if you believe you've received a Wells Fargo Bank phishing scam: -- Do not click on links in the e-mail. -- MANUALLY type the Web address of your bank or financial institution into your AOL or Web browser. (In this case, type www.wellsfargo.com and check the site for additional information.) -- Call your bank or financial institution and ask them to verify the e-mail for you. -- Click Report Spam to report the mail to AOL. -- Report the fake e-mail or Web site to Wells Fargo.

Related scam: Washington Mutual Bank 'Reconfirm Account Information' Scam

For more information, see How to Avoid Phishing Scams.