The rivers and lakes may be frozen this time of year, but it's still phishing season.

Phishing is a computer scam in which someone tries to get information from you unwittingly. The pitch might come via a phone call, email, web site or advertisement. The most common is an email.

This document, the Anatomy of Phishing (PDF), breaks down a phishing attempt quite well. It will give you clues about how to tell when an email request and its links are legitimate.

Here's the bottom line: If you think something is "phishy," trust your instinct and delete it, or, better yet, report it. Use the drop-down menu next to the the reply button to choose "report phishing."

If you are ever in doubt or need assistance, please contact the University of Alaska Office of Information Technology support center at 450-8300 or helpdesk@alaska.edu.