Transcript Phishing.pptx

How It Applies In A Virtual World
Phishing
Definition: n. To
request confidential
information over the
Internet under false
pretenses in order to
fraudulently obtain
credit card numbers,
passwords, or other
personal data.
What is Phishing? When Did it Start?
 The term originated in the mid 1990s in
connection with AOL
 Phishing is usually done through fake emails or
through instant messaging.
 The user is prompted to provide important
information about bank accounts or credit card
numbers through emails and sites that look
legitimate, but are actually fake. Their information
can then be used to commit identity theft.
Is It Illegal?
 It is illegal to commit
Identity theft.
 It is not illegal to ask the
user to volunteer their
personal information.
 It is not illegal to send you
an important looking
message in order to
prompt the user into
volunteering the wanted
information.
 Therefore phishing is only
illegal once the
information is used to
commit identity theft.
How Does This Affect The Common User?
How can you spot a phishing scam?
 Anyone can fall victim to
phishing, so every internet user
must use caution when
volunteering private information.
 Make sure that your connection is
secure.
 Signs that an email or site is not
authentic:
 Misspelled domain names (ex.
www.yohoo.com)
 It has variations of domains as well
(ex. www.yahoo-security.net)
 Don’t trust an email that leads you to a
website that only shows an IP address
(IP address ex. 102.199.60.250.)