Rise In 'Man In The Middle' Phishing Scams

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LOS ANGELES (CBSMiami) - Hackers have figured out another way to get your personal info.

Nicknamed the 'man in the middle' attack, it's the latest version of the phishing scam. Criminals sending out fake emails and text messages to users claiming there's been suspicious activity on their account and they need to reset their password.

"So what we mean by a man in the middle attack is that there's a person or a computer that intercepting everything that you're typing," said Mark Risher, director of product management for Google.

Risher says that can give scammers access to usernames, passwords and credit card information.

"These attacks are becoming more sophisticated and more targeted," he said.

If you click on the link it takes you to a fake login. The criminals can see you entering your username and password. While you're stuck on the fake site, the crooks go to the real one, enter your info and access your account.

"So the challenge is that when you receive these urgent messages you want to take a moment, take a breath, and look more closely," said Risher.

He added that it's important to never click on a link you have doubts about, a simple step to help keep your data safe.

Many browsers including Google Chrome now have the ability to warn you about a suspicious site you may be headed to.