Phishing

Phishing is a scamming method by which criminals attempt to obtain confidential information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by posing as trustworthy sources. This fraud is usually carried out via emails, fake websites or messages that look deceptively similar to the legitimate communication channels of well-known companies.

The attackers send messages designed to appear to come from trusted sources such as banks or well-known online services. These messages often contain links to fake websites that look very similar to the companies’ real sites. As soon as users enter their information on these fake sites, it is intercepted and misused by the fraudsters.

Phishing can also be carried out via text messages, phone calls or other digital means of communication, whereby the fraudsters try to gain the trust of the victims and get them to disclose sensitive information. To protect yourself from phishing, it is important to be suspicious of unexpected messages and to carefully check the authenticity of links and senders before responding.

Recent examples of phishing attacks can be found on this page of the Federal Office for Information Securitygefunden werden.