Phishing or Fishing?
A brief article about how your personal information gets stolen online within a few minutes
Phishing is a type of theft or robbery that is often associated with the cybersecurity branch. In phishing, just like a ‘fisherman’, a phisher hooks and catches his victim by pretending to be a trusted person. The phisher’s ideal job is to make the victim open a malicious link or download a corrupted file in order to steal his money or credit card information. Generally speaking, an act of phishing involves targeting and tricking internet users.
How Can You Catch a Phisher Instantly?
There are three primary methods of identification.
- Message Typing Style
If you receive a message from a known person who actually is ‘pretending to be someone’, and you become suspicious, then always check their tone or use of informal words. - Unusual Requests
If you receive a new email that contains some links or a downloaded file, it is better not to open it out of curiosity, no matter how charming the email might sound. - Discover Inconsistencies
Keep your eyes open if someone’s username and material don’t match. When a legit company sends you an email, they usually have installed software to rectify all the grammatical mistakes. Also, check for mismatched usernames, links, or instructions often going into the opposite direction.
Some of the Phishing Techniques are
- Malicious Links
Imposters sometimes send you a malicious web link to gather all your information.
2. Shipping Scams
Many scanners may, under the guise of parcel delivery, send you a message instructing you to download a slip and present it to the courier company for your parcel, implying that you weren’t at home when it arrived. The link might then steal all your browser’s data or make you download a corrupt file.
3. Fradulent Forms
A new type of technique includes making you fill out an entry form in return of hope of you wining some amazing gifts or surprise vacation tickets. Most individuals succumb to the allure of a complimentary item, only to have their credit cards and personal information compromised.
Some Famous Reported Instances; Case Studies
The Aol Case
In 1994, a Pennsylvanian teenager developed malicious software that stole passwords from American online account holders and signed in with some fake accounts. He then scammed AoL inc. customer service employees, swiftly withdrawing the company’s customers' hard-earned money.
The Sony Pictures Leak
Someone phished and leaked Sony Pictures’s sensitive data worth almost $100 million in 2014. The phishers used Apple IDs and the Linkedin database to conduct this robbery successfully.
Google and Facebook
Despite being world-renowned companies, they also became victims of phishing. Between 2013 and 2015, a person from Lithuania initiated an ‘email scam’ to phish Google and Facebook employees and stole $100 million by using fake email addresses.
The 2018 World Cup Scam
In February 2018, the Federal Trade Commission issued a press release worldwide regarding ‘lottery scam’. In Russia, scammers tricked customers into purchasing fictitious lottery tickets, promising them entry tickets to the finals. However, as soon as they divulged their personal details, the scam ended. Someone stole their personal data, leading to a successful fraud.
Have you ever experienced something closer to it?
