Today (27-06-2010) I received two email messages, regarding "Your Gmail Account needs Verification to avoid it being shut down due to recent problems encountered by Gmail Database system. Please supply the details below to clarify that your account is still very much active so that it will not be deleted. Please we need you to bear with us so that we can give you best of our service and also your Account can be well secured by us."See the Emails I received as Images,Email 1:Email2: I reported to Gmail About this message. And I found information about this email. This technique is 'spoofing' or 'password phishing.'What is 'spoofing' or 'password phishing'? Spammers send fraudulent mass-messages designed to collect your personal information.How to identify these Messages?1. Phishers want your personal information. So that, in the suspicious email, they ask to send your personal information such as your mail password, Bank account number and pin number. They also ask your personal details such as your name and address.2. Gmail or any organization such as banks does not directly contact you using email regarding personal information. Suppose They Email asking your personal information, you should visit their website directly not from mail and contact them.I reported to Gmail about the Suspicious Message I received. Using this Gmail Team can identify The Phishing Message and warns the users whenever users receive a Message like that. So when you receive a suspicious message asking your personal information. Please report it to Gmail using Report phishing option (see figure).How to protect yourself and avoid Phishers:* When you received email message asking your personal information you have to confirm the given web address on the received email is correct. For example, the Gmail URL is http://mail.google.com/ or, for security, https://mail.google.com/.The spammers may create the site looks like Gmail in the name of http://www.gmaail.com * After you visit the site look the status bar of your Browser, One closed Lock Symbol should appear. This means the site is protected and you can enter your personal information.*Next you have to check out the Email message headers. You can easily identify the 'From' address and some details about sender (see the image).Then confirm the email comes from the legitimate Source.*if you replied to the suspicious email when you received that Email, and you lost your Gmail Account means you should contact Gmail and you lost your credit card number, bank account number means you should contact your financial institution. You can also send that email message to Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov