What is phishing?

Phishing attacks involve the mass distribution of 'spoofed' email messages with return addresses, links, and branding which appear to come from banks, insurance agencies, retailers or credit card companies. These fraudulent messages are designed to fool the recipients into divulging personal authentication data such as account usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, identity card numbers, etc.

It is also reported that the phishers may also use a victim's personal information to create fake accounts and ruin the victim's credit. Because these emails look "official", some recipients may respond to them, resulting in financial losses, identity theft, and other fraudulent activity. In Hong Kong, there is also a number of reported phishing attacks.

A list of reference sites about phishing can be found in the Useful Links.

Recent Phishing Attacks

Phishing Concepts & Techniques

Protecting Against Phishing Attacks

FAQs