What is Phishing? Protection Guide
Phishing is the #1 cybercrime method where criminals impersonate legitimate organizations to steal passwords, financial information, or personal data. The FBI's IC3 reported phishing attacks increased 66% in 2023, costing Americans $10.3 billion.
Attackers exploit psychological manipulation through email, text, and phone calls. Common tactics include fake urgent messages from banks, government agencies, or retailers threatening account closures. The FBI reports spear phishing—targeted attacks using researched personal details—caused 83% of corporate data breaches in 2023. SMS "smishing" uses fake package delivery notifications, while "vishing" involves phone calls impersonating tech support or government officials.
Identifying phishing: Examine sender email addresses carefully (attackers use lookalike domains like "paypa1.com" instead of "paypal.com"). Hover over links without clicking to reveal true destinations. Legitimate organizations never request passwords via email, don't create artificial urgency, and use your actual name instead of "Dear Customer." Be suspicious of unsolicited attachments, especially .exe or .zip files.
Protection: Never click links in unexpected messages—go directly to websites by typing URLs. Enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts. Use password managers for unique credentials. Verify suspicious requests by calling official phone numbers, not numbers provided in messages. Report phishing attempts to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and FBI IC3 at ic3.gov.
References
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FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). (2024). 2023 Internet Crime Report. Retrieved from https://www.ic3.gov/
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IBM Security. (2023). Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023. Retrieved from https://www.ibm.com/security/data-breach
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AARP Fraud Watch Network. (2024). Elder Fraud Statistics 2023. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/
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Federal Trade Commission (FTC). (2024). Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2023. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/
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Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG). (2024). Phishing Activity Trends Report. Retrieved from https://apwg.org/
Additional Resources
- Report Phishing: reportphishing@apwg.org
- FTC Complaint Assistant: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov
- FBI IC3: https://www.ic3.gov/complaint
- AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360