What Is Phishing? - ConsumerAffairs

Finance Best Identity Theft Protection What Is Phishing? It’s a scam to steal your sensitive information Updated Mar. 13, 2026 Fact-Checked By: Sharon Wu +2 more Contents Learn about identifty theft protections Phishing attacks use phony emails, texts and calls to trick you into sharing personal information. An email from your bank, a text about a package delivery, a call from tech support — any of these could be a phishing scam in disguise. Criminals are getting better at fooling even tech-savvy people into clicking malicious links or sharing passwords. Knowing what to look for can help you spot these scams before you become a victim. Key insights Phishing attacks are scams devised to trick you into sharing personal information. Jump to insight Common types of phishing include email scams, smishing (text messages), vishing (calls) and targeted spear phishing. Jump to insight Attackers use stolen personal data and advanced technology to create convincing fake messages at scale. Jump to insight Understanding phishing attacks A phishing cyberattack tricks users into sharing personal data, typically through fake emails, calls or texts. The goal is always the same: Steal your login credentials, financial details or personal information that they can sell or use for identity theft. “With the growth of AI and digital communications, bad actors can make and send out incredibly convincing messages,” Michael Bruemmer, head of global data breach resolution at Experian, noted. They copy logos and formatting from real companies and create web addresses that differ by one character. Then, they send messages asking you to click a link, download a file or call a phone number. What makes phishing so effective is the psychological pressure scammers build into every message. They create urgency — your account will close, a delivery failed, or suspicious activity needs immediate attention. This pushes you to act without thinking. Responding to these requests gives criminals everything they need to access your accounts. Types of phishing "There's an entire family of cyberattacks that have evolved from the original phishing emails," said Nathan Wenzler, field chief information security officer at cyber advisory and solutions firm Optiv. Criminals now use five main attack methods to reach victims. Type Method How it works Email phishing Email Fraudulent messages request credentials or financial information, or ask you to click links that launch malware Smishing Text message SMS messages appear to be from legitimate companies asking you to click links or call phone numbers Vishing Phone call Scammers impersonate customer service, tech support or government agencies through calls or voicemails Spear phishing Email/text message/phone call Targeted attacks use personal details like coworkers’ names, family members or your work history to seem credible Clone phishing Email Messages replicate legitimate company emails with correct logos, fonts and formatting sent from compromised accounts Most criminals take a 'spray and pray' approach. “They send out copious amounts of emails and text messages to consumers that include malicious links or attachments," Bruemmer explained. These mass campaigns rely on the law of averages. If enough people receive the message, someone will eventually click. How phishing is carried out Fraudsters launch phishing attacks using the same software-as-a-service technologies that legitimate corporations use, according to Wenzler. Some criminal organizations even offer phishing services to other criminals on a subscription basis, making sophisticated attacks accessible to less tech-savvy scammers. Years of security breaches have given criminals vast amounts of stolen personal data. They feed this information into AI systems that create convincing messages designed to bypass spam filters. Everything runs automatically, letting scammers personalize attacks at scale with little effort. The AI even mimics how real companies write and format their communications. » IN THE NEWS: Quishing scams surge as criminals target older adults Criminals automate the creation of fake websites, complete with home pages, contact forms and chatbots, supporting the deception. And domain spoofing makes detection even harder. "For example, www.villain.com and www.vilIan.com are different sites," Wenzler emphasized. "But they look so alike that a user is likely to miss the difference and may click on the spoofed link." Recognizing phishing attempts According to Wenzler, despite the high level of sophistication in phishing emails, signs that you’ve received a malicious email remain the same. Already been scammed? Check for identity theft and change passwords for any accounts that may have been exposed. Watch for these red flags: Misspelled words or company names that aren’t quite right Email addresses with randomized characters instead of personal names Sender names that don’t match the email address Offers that seem too good to be true Requests for confidential information like passwords or Social Security numbers Links, invoices or attachments that seem unusual or out of place Urgency is one of the biggest giveaways. "A key sign of a phishing attempt is an unexpected message from a business asking consumers to act now to avoid fees, account deactivation or more," Bruemmer explained. Legitimate companies don't threaten immediate consequences through email. They also don't ask for sensitive login credentials this way. If something feels off about a message, trust your instincts. Don't click any links or attachments. Instead, contact the business through their official website or a phone number you find. Don’t use the one provided in the suspicious message. Once you’ve verified it’s a scam, report it to your email provider. Protecting against phishing Tech tools like the top identity theft protection services can strengthen your defenses. Filtering services stop many phishing emails from ever reaching you, while keeping your software current fixes security weaknesses that scammers rely on. Double-check the sender before clicking links, set up unique passwords across all your accounts and stay off public Wi-Fi when dealing with banking or personal information. After setting up strong passwords and filters, activate multifactor authentication (MFA). "It adds another layer of protection by requiring more than a password to access an account," explained Bruemmer. MFA might require you to enter a code sent to your phone or use biometrics like your fingerprint. So even if scammers manage to steal your password, they still can't get in without that second step. Unfortunately, no protection method is foolproof on its own. Filters block the majority of phishing emails, yet advanced scams still get through. Updates patch known security flaws, but hackers discover new ones. Your best bet is mixing technology protections with smart behavior. If one defense fails, you've got others backing you up. » LEARN: How to prevent identity theft FAQ How do I know if I got phished? What is phishing and an example? How do I stop phishing emails? Why is phishing dangerous? Article sources Did you find this article helpful?YES | NO Share this article