Email identity theft is also known by the terms phishing and pharming. Phishing occurs when bulk emails are sent out to millions of email addresses, asking the recipient to confirm an account or change a PIN, update personal information or avoid having their account closed by clicking on a link on the page. This link goes to a site that appears like a secure site, but it is really designed to capture all your personal information. In some situations the scam is about winning a foreign lottery, receiving an inheritance or helping out someone with a transferring a large sum of money. Pharming is actually much more subtle and redirects your computer from the legitimate site to a bogus site using an imbedded virus or pharming program. These specific viruses can bypass your computer security so large online sites have to use their own anti-pharming software detection programs. Email identity theft is incredibly difficult to track since hackers and thieves use elaborate rerouting systems to avoid IP detection that could lead investigators back to them.