Related terms

• SPAM
• Complaint
• Spoofing

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Phishing

Phishing is the fraudulent sending of messages with the aim of stealing information from the recipient, typically economic data or passwords. One way to detect phishing is that the story they use to obtain this information sounds fake. Phishing is often combined with spoofing to ensure deception.

Fishing or Phishing?

While "fishing" involves using bait to catch prey, in the context of identity theft fraud, known as "phishing," a fantasy is created to deceive people into sharing personal information with the scammer. The term "phishing" is derived from "fishing," but the usage context is quite different.

How does phishing occur?

In a phishing attack, the user receives a message that appears to be sent by a sender they know. The most common examples impersonate banks, national service providers, social networks, or large companies where online payments are made, with the goal of obtaining passwords and login information for theft or resale. While the design of these messages may resemble those sent by legitimate senders, the content is often not very credible, despite the urgency of their words to prompt action. Phishing emails often contain spelling errors, confusing expressions, and are generally suspicious. They may also include attachments and links to insecure websites (without HTTPS) or use URL shorteners to obfuscate the destination. Email providers have mechanisms for reporting senders who engage in this kind of deception, but users must be vigilant to avoid falling into the trap, and senders should ensure that their brand is not associated with cyber scams.

How to prevent phishing?

Domain authentication is the protocol that helps brands protect against fraudulent use of their name. This makes online identity theft more difficult because email services can be sure that the message comes from a legitimate sender, i.e., it is who it claims to be. Companies can also run anti-phishing campaigns to warn their customers when they detect phishing attacks. For example, they can remind customers that they will never ask for passwords, advise them to pay attention to who is communicating with them, and suggest that if they are in doubt, they should contact them by phone rather than clicking on links in those messages.