What is Phishing?

In the field of computer security, phishing is the criminal fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Communications purporting to be from popular social websites, auction sites, online payment processors or IT Administrators are commonly used to lure the unsuspecting. Phishing is typically carried out via e-mail or instant messaging, and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to a legitimate one.

Even when using server authentication it may require some skill to detect that the website is fake. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users and exploits the poor usability of current web security technologies. Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical security measures.

List of Phishing Parasites:

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» Question about Item - Respond Now
"Question about Item - Respond Now" is a classic phishing email scam. The "Question about Item - Respond Now" email masquerades as an eBay page and tries to steal your login and account information. Do not trust suspicious emails and avoid clicking on links in emails. ...
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» Protect your Visa card online with a personal password
"Protect your Visa card online with a personal password" email is a phishing scam. "Protect your Visa card online with a personal password" email informs you that you need to protect your Visa card with a new password. The email links to a scam webpage to ...
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» 1 of Friends Awaiting Your Response Email
"1 of Friends Awaiting Your Response" email is a classic phishing email. Phishing is the fraudulent process of obtaining sensitive personal information via the internet by pretending to be a legitimate trustworthy company or organization (which is a criminal act). The "1 of Friends Awaiting Your ...
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» A Question About Your iOffer Item
"A Question About Your iOffer Item" email is a phishing scam. The "A Question About Your iOffer Item" email informs you that you have posted a "brand new Nikon D80 package" for sale on iOffer. The email links to a fraudulent webpage that attempts to trick ...
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» "New email address added to your account!"
"New email address added to your account!" is a classic phishing email scam. The scam email asks you to confirm/update/verify your PayPal account. This is accomplished by visiting the link in the "New email address added to your account!" email. The text of the email ...
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