Pharming is another online scam, in which hackers download 'crimeware' to the users' computer. That software gathers as much personal information as possible.

Norton Confidential, due to be released in October takes traditional anti-virus and firewall software a step further, aiming to put itself between computer users and fraud artists that pose as legitimate businesses.

It also tries to save people from themselves by blocking the inadvertent downloading of crimeware on computers, downloads that can carried out without the user's knowledge and are triggered by such seemingly harmless activities as clicking through Web sites.

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) today reported that phishers are commanding ever larger arrays of co-opted Internet infrastructure and using it to take aim apparently at smaller financial institutions.

"Overall, the survey and recent field reports tell us that phishers are using advanced crimeware to commandeer larger arrays of Internet technologies and at the same time using them to attack smaller institutions than have been targeted," said APWG Chairman David Jevans.