Phishing scams are attempts by con artists to deceive you into disclosing personal information such as your credit card details, bank account numbers, and passwords.

In a phishing scam, they take you to a fake website that exactly mimics the actual one. In some cases, it is the business's official website. When that occurs, a pop-up window swiftly opens to collect your financial information.

How does this scam work?

●        The phisher starts by selecting their intended targets (at the organizational or individual level) and develops plans to gather the information they can use to launch an attack.

●        Next, the phisher devises strategies to deliver communications that entice data from their victims, such as bogus emails or false websites.

●        The attack then starts when phishers send victims messages that seem legitimate.

●        The data that victims enter on the bogus websites will be monitored and collected by phishers after the attack has been launched.

●        Finally, phishers exploit the information they have gathered to make fraudulent or illegal purchases.

However, not all assaults resemble and function the same when defining phishing. Phishing scams can take many different shapes and can be used to achieve several objectives.

What types of phishing scams are there?

Phishing attacks are socially engineered attacks, and depending on the attacker, they may target a wide variety of people. For example, they may be generic scam emails searching for PayPal users.

Phishing can also be a targeted attack directed at a particular person. For example, the assailant will often write you a personalized email containing facts that only a friend would know. An attacker typically obtains this data after getting access to your personal information.

Spear phishing: When using a fishing pole, you might catch flounder, bottom feeders, or rubbish underneath the water's surface. You can choose a certain fish to go after when spearfishing. So, here spear phishing refers to targeting  a particular group or kind of person, such as the system administrator for a business.

Smishing: Smishing is an attack carried out over text messaging or a short message service (SMS). Delivering a message by SMS to a cell phone with a clickable link or a return phone number is a common phishing technique.

Whaling: Whaling is a more specialized form of phishing that targets whales larger than fish in the ocean. These assaults frequently target a CEO, CFO, or any CXX within a sector or particular company. According to a whaling email, the company may be subject to legal repercussions, and you must click the link to learn more.

Vishing: A phone call-based attack is known as phishing. Attackers frequently use a script or prerecorded message when they call the victim. For example, in a recent Twitter breach, a group of hackers posing as "IT Staff" persuaded Twitter employees to give up their credentials over the phone.

Here are 6 Ways to Identify a Phishing Email:

1. The email was sent from an open source: No trustworthy company will ever email you from a domain that ends in "@gmail.com." No! Even Google cannot. Nearly every institution has email addresses and business accounts from which to send official communications. Therefore, check an email's domain name (what comes after @) before opening it to be sure it belongs to the sender.

2. Your private information is requested in the email:  It’s probably a fraud if you receive an anonymous email requesting sensitive information. For example, no businesses will email you asking for your passwords, payment card information, tax identification numbers, or a login link.

3. The email's grammar is appalling: Poor grammar is one of the simple signs of a phishing email. The real ones are frequently created by freelance writers who thoroughly verify their spelling before sending them out because they are always well-written and lack poor syntax.

4. There is a suspicious attachment in the email: If you get an email with an attachment from a business you don't know or weren't expecting; you should be concerned because it is a type of Spear phishing scam. The extension can contain malware or a dangerous URL.

Even if you think the attachment is genuine, it's best practice to scan it with antivirus software first.

5. You're scared after reading the message: Phishing emails are frequently used to frighten the receiver. In the email, it can state that inputting your login information is the only method to confirm the possibility that your account has been compromised. Alternatively, the email will inform you that your report will be closed if you don't reply right away.

6. The email informs you of the lottery victory: So, if you got an email saying you won a lottery, gift cards, or some new technology but don't remember buying tickets for it, it's probably a fraud.

How to avoid Phishing scams?

●        Never respond to an unsolicited request for personal information through the phone or the Internet. Phishing emails and web pages can closely resemble legitimate emails and websites. Even the false padlock icon typically used to indicate a secure site may be present. You shouldn't reveal any information if you did not start the correspondence.

●        You can contact Financial Fund Recovery directly if you think the contact may be legitimate. You can search the company in a phone book or on the Internet or locate its contact information on the monthly statements you receive from your financial institution. The important thing is that you must make the first move and use contact details that you have independently verified.

●        Never share your password with someone over the phone or respond to an unwanted online request. A bank would never request online account information verification from a customer. Your savings are at risk if thieves have this knowledge and your account number.

●        To make sure all charges are legitimate, frequently review account statements. Call your banking institution to learn why your account statement is delayed. If your financial institution allows for electronic account access, keep an eye out for any unusual activity by routinely reviewing online activities.

Conclusion:

It is vital to have security software guiding your defense as thieves continue to develop their phishing scams and other tactics. Use caution and your best judgment when browsing the Internet and responding to communications to avoid finding out "what is phishing" after an attack has already begun.