What does a phishing scam generally involve?

A phishing scam primarily involves fake emails and websites that are designed to deceive individuals into providing personal and financial information. These scams often resemble legitimate communications from trusted sources, such as banks or popular online services. The goal is to trick the recipient into clicking on a link that leads to a counterfeit website or downloading a malicious attachment. Once on the fraudulent site, individuals may be prompted to enter sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers.

This method exploits the element of trust, as the designed content often mimics official correspondence, making it difficult for individuals to differentiate between genuine requests and fraudulent ones. Phishing can take many forms, including email phishing, spear phishing (targeted attacks), and whaling (attacks directed at high-profile individuals), but at its core, it is the manipulation of communication channels to obtain sensitive data unlawfully.

While other types of scams, such as phone calls or in-person encounters, can certainly happen, they are not classified as phishing. Phishing specifically refers to tactics that use the internet and electronic communication as a means to solicit private details deceptively.