(1) American society is increasingly dependent on the Internet for communications, entertainment, commerce, and banking. (2) For the Internet to reach its full potential in these and other respects, it must continue to be a trustworthy medium. This means, for example, that Internet users should be able to trust the stated origin of Internet communications and the stated destination of Internet hyperlinks. (3) Internet users are increasingly subjected to scams based on misleading or false communications that trick the user into sending money, or trick the user into revealing enough information to enable various forms of identify theft that result in financial loss. (4) One class of such scams, called ‘phishing’, uses false e-mail return addresses, stolen graphics, stylistic imitation, misleading or disguised hyperlinks, so-called ‘social engineering’, and other artifices to trick users into revealing personally identifiable information. After obtaining this information, the ‘phisher’ then uses the information to create unlawful identification documents and/or to unlawfully obtain money or property. (5) These crimes victimize not only the individuals whose information is stolen, but the entire online community, including millions of people who rely on the integrity of the Internet’s system of addresses and hyperlinks.