Scam artists are trying to take advantage of consumer unease over the nation's financial crisis by launching new attacks to steal personal information, according to the Wisconsin Credit Union League.

The scammers attempt to capture personal information through mass e-mails or advertisements. Consumers should be wary of e-mails that ask them to update, validate or confirm account information, the league said.

One fraudulent message, for example, claims that a company recently acquired the mortgage on the recipient's home and asks for an update of personal information.

UW Credit Union recently warned its members about a non-Internet "secret shopper" scam in which people are sent fake checks for consumer research and are asked to deposit the checks and wire the money. When the checks are found to be fraudulent, the depositors must pay back the money they wired.

The phone scam in Manitowoc County, carefully timed to coincide with Thanksgiving Day, informed people that their bank account was frozen and provided a toll-free-number to have it reinstated if the customer could verify their personal information. Timed to occur when banks were closed and just before the biggest shopping day of the year, the criminals dialed 40,000 area residents and got 20,000 people to answer the phone.

The Wisconsin Bankers Association is warning of a phone scam in Manitowoc County last year, timed to coincide with Thanksgiving Day. Bank customers were told their accounts were frozen and they were given a toll-free number to get them reinstated.

The association said the scam, which also was an attempt to get personal information, could target consumers again this year.

No legitimate business, including banks and credit unions, solicits personal information by phone or e-mail, according to the credit union league.

The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips:

• Don't respond to unsolicited e-mails.

• Verify inquiries by phone with numbers from a financial statement or the phone book.

• Update anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection computer software.

• Use secure methods, not e-mail, to send sensitive information.

• Review financial account statements promptly to check for unauthorized charges.

More information is available on the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft Web site at www.ftc.gov/idtheft. More tips on guarding against Internet fraud can be found at www.OnGuardOnline.gov.