Phishing

Last updated on June 7, 2022

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that attempts to steal personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and account information. It typically occurs through malicious emails or websites that masquerade as legitimate businesses in order to trick victims into entering their sensitive information.

How Does Phishing Work?

Phishing works by sending emails or pop-up messages that appear to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank or credit card company. The message will often contain a sense of urgency, such as a warning that your account has been compromised, in order to trick you into clicking on a link or attachment. This link or attachment will then redirect you to a fake website that looks identical to the real website, but is actually designed to steal your information.

What are the Most Common Methods of Phishing?

There are several common methods of phishing, but the most common include:

• Email phishing: This is the most common type of phishing, and occurs when you receive an email that appears to be from a legitimate source, but is actually a scam. The email will often contain a sense of urgency or threaten some sort of action if you do not take immediate action, such as clicking on a link or attachment.
• Spear phishing: This type of phishing is more targeted than email phishing, and occurs when scammers send emails specifically targeting an individual or organization. The email will often contain personal information about the victim in order to appear more legitimate.
• Smishing: This type of phishing uses text messages instead of emails in order to trick victims into giving up personal information. The text message will often claim to be from a legitimate source, such as your bank, and will usually contain a link that redirects you to a fake website.
• Vishing: This type of phishing uses phone calls instead of emails or text messages in order to trick victims into giving up personal information. The caller will often claim to be from a legitimate source, such as your bank or credit card company, and will try to get you to give them sensitive information over the phone.

How Can You Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks?

There are several steps you can take in order to protect yourself from phishing attacks, including:

• Be suspicious of unsolicited emails: If you receive an email from a sender you don’t know, be suspicious. Don’t click on any links or attachments, and don’t reply to the email.
• Don’t give out personal information: Legitimate companies will never ask you for your password or credit card number over the phone or in an email. If you receive a call or email asking for this type of information, do not give it out.
• Keep your software up to date: Install security software on your computer and keep it up to date. This will help protect you from malicious websites and emails.
• Watch for typos and grammatical errors: Scammers often create fake websites and emails in a hurry, so they may contain typos and grammatical errors. Be suspicious of any emails or websites that contain these errors.

What are the Consequences of Falling Victim to a Phishing Attack?

If you fall victim to a phishing attack, the consequences can be serious. Your personal information may be stolen, and you may be left with fraudulent charges on your credit card or bank account. You may also be at risk for identity theft. In some cases, phishing attacks can also lead to malware being installed on your computer, which can give scammers access to all of the files on your computer.

How Can You Tell if an Email is a Phishing Attempt?

There are several signs that an email may be a phishing attempt, including:

• The sender’s address does not match the name of the company: If you receive an email from a company, such as your bank, the sender’s address should match the company’s domain name. For example, if you receive an email from your bank, the sender’s address should end in “@bankofamerica.com”.
• The email contains typos or grammatical errors: As mentioned before, scammers often create fake emails in a hurry, so they may contain typos and grammatical errors.
• The email contains a sense of urgency: Phishing emails often try to trick victims into taking immediate action by claiming there is some sort of urgency. For example, an email may claim that your account has been compromised and you need to click on a link to reset your password.
• The email contains threats: Phishing emails may also contain threats, such as claiming that your account will be closed if you do not take immediate action.
• The email contains a request for personal information: Legitimate companies will never ask you for your password or credit card number over email. If you receive an email asking for this type of information, it is likely a phishing attempt.

What are Some Common Phishing Scams?

There are many different types of phishing scams, but some of the most common include:

• Bank phishing: This type of scam attempts to steal your bank account information. You may receive an email or text message claiming to be from your bank, and asking you to click on a link to update your account information. The link will redirect you to a fake website that looks identical to your bank’s website but is actually designed to steal your information.
• Credit card phishing: This type of scam attempts to steal your credit card information.
• PayPal phishing: This type of scam attempts to steal your PayPal login information.
• eBay phishing: This type of scam attempts to steal your eBay login information.

How Can You Report a Phishing Attempt?

If you receive a phishing email, you can report it to the company that it is impersonating. For example, if you receive a phishing email that is impersonating your bank, you can forward the email to your bank’s abuse department. You can also report phishing emails to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.