In an effort to thwart high-tech fraud by Internet cons known as "phishers," Redmond-based Microsoft Corp. has filed 117 lawsuits in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington . Microsoft said it filed the lawsuits in hopes of uncovering some of the largest operators. In phishing scams, the Internet-based communications often purport to be from legitimate organizations, such as banks, and use that perception of a trusted relationship to get people to reveal personal information. Microsoft's lawsuits were brought under the Lanham Act, a federal trademark protection law that carries a maximum of $1 million fine per violation.

The lawsuits, accuses the "John Doe" defendants of using mass e-mail or pop-up ads to coerce consumers into revealing personal information such as bank account information, passwords or social security numbers.