What is phishing?

Answer 1

Pishing is a deceptive way of scamming people by tricking them with cloned and trapped websites.

The idea being is that you some how (mostly via e-mail) get you to visit their site and enter your sensitive data so they can steal it.

For example, they may send you an email pretending to be your bank and for security reasons you must reset your password, and you'll receive a link to click on that may look like an identical clone of your banking website, and you'll unwittingly enter your login --
And they'll have your banking info to do whatever they want with it.

Answer 2

PHISHING: Bait or Prey?

“We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity.”

“Phishers” send spam or pop-up messages claiming to be from a business or organization that you might deal with — for example, an Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to “update” or “validate” your account information. It might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The message directs you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization's, but isn't. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name. Don't take the bait: never reply to or click on links in email or pop-ups that ask for personal information. Legitimate companies don't ask for this information via email. If you are directed to a website to update your information, verify that the site is legitimate by calling the company directly, using contact information from your account statements. Or open a new browser window and type the URL into the address field, watching that the actual URL of the site you visit doesn't change and is still the one you intended to visit. Forward spam that is phishing for information to [e-mail] and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing email. Most organizations have information on their websites about where to report problems.

Answer 3

Phishing is a form of fraud. A Phisher makes an email that looks like it is from a ligitimate company (often a bank) and sends it to as many email addresses as possible. The email usually asks that you go to a web page and log in to resolve some kind of difficulty (I got one once saying that my ebay account had been dormant and I needed to log in to reactivate my account).

Here's the fun part - the website you are directed to is bogus, and when you log in the phisher (who made the website too) gets your login and password. Now the phisher can log in as you. If the phisher has access to you bank accounts, you can imagine what happens to your money...

Double-check any emails you receive that ask you to go to a website and log in with the company that supposedly sent them. Call the company and report the email (if it's phishy, they can confirm this for you and then warn other clients)

BTW, some clever phishers have started calling people on the phone and pretending like they are from this bank or that.. Phone Phishing, or something like that...

Hope this helps, and be careful out there.

Answer 4

you're being "phished" once you're delivered about a pretend internet website, case in factor, after typing the incorrect link. internet Explorer 7 and Firefox both have a anti-phishing characteristic for consumer's safe practices. you're being hacked at the same time as a hacker has by some skill received get admission to on your computing device by skill of internet, received own techniques, and became your computing device right into a zombie equipment that works to serve his/her desires. A Intrusion Prevention equipment (IPS), an put in firewall software, and a router firewall are good techniques of conserving ur comp from those hackers.

Answer 5

Phishing is a method used by unscrupulous people to try to steal private information about you from you to be used against you.

Here is a place that can tell you more,

Phishing Defense:
http://www.onguardonline.gov/phishing.html

Have fun but be safe!

Answer 6

when someone emails you to see if you respond, once they know you're email address is in use they can send you bank inquiries on your account hoping you have an account with that particular bank and you will give them your info thinking it is really from your bank........ hence the name phishing, they throw a "worm" at you to see if you bite

Answer 7

It is the same as fishing but in this case you hope to catch somebodies identity.

This can be used to make that person pay for telephone costs, mortgages, plundering that persons bank-account, ordering anything from mail-order.....you get the point.

Answer 8

easiest way to explain it. There are people who want to scam you. they send emails trying to make believe they are someone they are not hoping you will fall for it. If you do and send or provide the information they are asking for, they might steal information and rip you off. That is why it is important not to click on links or provide information if you are not sure about it.

Answer 9

a mispelled word

Answer 10

Have a look here: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-31,GGLR:en&defl=en&q=define:Phishing&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title