What is Phishing, Pharming, and Spoofing?
Phishing (FISH.ing): Phishing is e-mail fraud where the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking e-mails that appear to come from well known and trustworthy Web sites in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from the recipient. A phishing expedition, like the fishing expedition it’s named for, is a speculative venture: the phisher puts the lure hoping to fool at least a few of the prey that encounter the bait. Vishing: a variation of phishing where identity thieves include a phone number, usually an inexpensive VoIP (Voice over internet protocol) number that is easy to obtain anonymously, to trick victims into calling and sharing their credit card account information. Pharming (FARM.ing): Pharming is a scamming practice in which malicious code is installed on a personal computer or server, misdirecting users to fraudulent Web sites without their knowledge or consent. Pharming has been called “phishing without a lure.” Spoofing: E-mail spoofing is the forgery of an e-m
