Phishing is a new type of online scam but the concept behind it is not so new at all. Phishing is just classic deception dressed in a 21st century version of itself. It is intended to deceive people and trick them into willingly giving out personal information that cybercriminals can later on use to access bank accounts, personal details and conduct unauthorized transactions on behalf of the legitimate owner.
The dangers of phishing originate from the fact that many of us have been dependent on the internet. When society embraced the convenience brought to us by the internet we changed the way we do things and moved a lot of the tasks we used to do physically into the virtual space. In the past you have to go to the telephone company to pay your actual bills but with the internet we can now go online and pay using a credit card. People used to be required to be physically available in the bank to sign off transactions and money transfers in and out of their accounts but today with online banking becoming more popular, such transactions can be done at home with almost any type of device that can connect online.
The dangerous thing about phishing is that they do not only prey on adults. Kids nowadays have access to the internet almost 24/7 using their phones, laptops and other devices. Online games are also drawing more and more kids everyday so many children are accessing related sites for a gaming clan name creator, gaming guides and game cheats that should enhance their gaming experience. Cybercriminals can mimic these sites to let children think that they are accessing information they are looking for when in fact they are being misguided into providing information about themselves.
Phishing schemes has become more complex and more difficult to detect recently. Cybercriminals have also employed the concepts of human psychology to disguise malicious intent in emails and websites being made available to civilians. There are only a few rules that you need to remember so that you and your family will not fall victim of cyber phishing: first, always use complicated passwords for your accounts and never share them to anyone; second, never give out your username and password for your banking accounts to anyone via email or phone; and third, always verify the legitimacy of the website or the sender of emails asking you for information. Cyber phishing may have strengthened their strategy but the public can also keep themselves protected by staying alert and informed.
