What is phishing?
“Phishing” or “spoofing” is a form of online fraud in which someone poses as a legitimate company to obtain sensitive personal data and then, using this information, illegally conducts transactions on your existing accounts or on new fraudulently created accounts using your sensitive personal data. The most current methods of “phishing” are fake e-mails, Web sites and pop-up windows, or any combination of these.
Phishing (pronounced “fishing”) refers to fraudulent communications designed to deceive consumers into divulging personal, financial, or account information. Phishing email often appeara to come from legitimate financial institutions or retailers. Such requests may ask for information including account numbers, passwords, user names or Social Security numbers. This fraudulent email often creates a false sense of urgency intended to provoke the recipient to take immediate action; for example, phishing email frequently instruct recipients to “validate” or “update” account information or face cancellation. In addition, marketing offers may also be used for attempted phishing. Phishers use a variety of techniques, which may include false “From” addresses, authentic-looking logos, or Web links and graphics. These techniques mislead consumers into believing that they are dealing with a legitimate request for sensitive information. Attachments within an email can also facilitate phishing. Do
