What Is Phishing? Examples and Phishing Quiz (2024)

FAQs

What is phishing and example? ›

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message.

An example of phishing is: setting up a fake medical website that asks users for confidential information. Evil twins are: bogus wireless network access points that look legitimate to users.

The Three Questions Quiz

Each of these phishing campaigns begins with a short quiz in which a user is asked three questions related to the recognized brand. Therefore, we referred to this type of phishing scam as the “Three Questions Quiz.” Regardless of the answer that is selected, the victim always wins.

Here are some ways to recognize a phishing email: Urgent call to action or threats - Be suspicious of emails and Teams messages that claim you must click, call, or open an attachment immediately. Often, they'll claim you have to act now to claim a reward or avoid a penalty.

phishing. a technique to gain personal information for the purpose of identity theft, usually by means of fraudulent e-mail.

Typically, in a phishing attack, a scammer sends a message – whether over email or social media – that might look like it is from a trustworthy person, company or charity. The message might suggest there is a problem or that someone needs help and that the recipient can take action by clicking a link.

- Ask for things like usernames, passwords, account numbers, etc. - Emails from the "IRS" asking for overdue taxes, someone claiming to be from your internet service provider telling you that there's a problem with your account details (often including an email address that isn't yours), etc.

What is Phishing? Phishing is a type of attack carried out in order to steal information or money. Phishing attacks can occur through email, phone calls, texts, instant messaging, or social media. Attackers are after your personal information: usernames, passwords, credit card information, Social Security numbers.

What type of attack is phishing an example of? ›

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack, which means it targets the weaknesses of human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities. The attacker will masquerade as a legitimate individual or organization and then send the victim a phony message using this assumed moniker.

In an email phishing scam, the attacker sends an email that looks legitimate, designed to trick the recipient into entering information in reply or on a site that the hacker can use to steal or sell their data.

Spear Phishing

Then the scammer uses this information to craft a phishing message with an offer or request information relevant to who the target is and/or what they do. As such, this type of phishing is more difficult to detect.

One way is to remember “the four Ps”: Pretend, problem, pressure, pay. Many scam tactics boil down to these four words.

With the sensitive information obtained from a successful phishing scam, these thieves can take out loans or obtain credit cards and even driver's licenses in your name. They can do damage to your financial history and personal reputation that can take years to unravel.

Phishing attacks typically work by: Fraudulent communication: The attacker sends emails or messages that appear to be from legitimate sources. Malicious links or attachments: The actor adds links or attachments in the communication that install malware on the victim's device when they click or download.

Thieves may send a spam email message, instant message, or pop-up message that infects the consumer's PC with spyware or ransomware and gives control of it to the thief. A spam message may infect your computer when you click a link or picture in the spam message, or when you open an attachment to a spam message.