What is Phishing

Have you ever received an email that looked legitimate but just didn't seem right? If your answer is yes then you've probably been the recipient of a phishing email.

What is Phishing

In simple terms, phishing is an attempt by someone to lure you into divulging private information about yourself and any accounts or credit card numbers they may be interested in. They try to make the request look as legitimate as possible so that you'll be tricked into thinking it is valid.

The most common method to lure people in is by sending them an email. The email may inform the user that their account details need to be updated or it may say something else but it will always lead to the user having to enter some sort of information.

Look Alike

To make it seem like the user is being asked by the real company the phishers will even setup a website that looks identical to the site that they are purporting to be from.

Examples

PayPal is probably one of the most popular phishing scams. The user will receive an email stating that their account needs to be verified or there has been a breach and they need to update some info.

Various Banks The email will state that there has been unusual account activity or something of the sort and will ask user to follow a link and fill out some info to ensure that the account isn't compromised. Failure to comply may result in your account being suspended.

eBay You need to update your eBay account for some reason that is given and you must do so to prevent your account from being suspended.

Most phishing emails contain some notion that your account will be disabled if they don't receive any information to "verify" your account. This creates a sense of urgency.