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Fighting Identity Theft in the 21st Century: Examples of Phishing

The fastest growing type of crime in the 21st century is identity theft. With so many people falling victim to identity theft schemes each and every year, odds are that you will be a victim of identity theft at some point during your own life. With this in mind, you will want to take any and all steps available to you to fight identity theft.

With this in mind, one of the common tools and scams that a person intent on committing identity theft utilizes in today’s world is something known as phishing. Through this article, we will discuss with you phishing so that you will be more familiar with the practice and better able to protect yourself and your family from identity theft.

More specifically, through this article you will be provided with some examples of phishing. By considering some of these examples of phishing, you will be in a better position to protect yourself from phishing scams and from identity theft.

What is Phishing?

Phishing generally has been defined as the act or practice actually of tricking someone into providing confidential information or to trick someone into doing something that they would not have otherwise done. By way of example, an email may be sent to an Internet user falsely claiming to be an established and reliable business enterprise of one sort or another. Through this email, an attempt is made to scam or con the Internet user into providing personal or financial information -- which is given to a person who is intent on committing identity theft.

Common Examples of Phishing

There are a number of common examples of phishing scams that are being practiced in this day and age. These include email and fake websites. These two general types of phishing techniques will be discussed in turn.

Email Based Phishing Scams

One of the most common types of phishing schemes and scams that are being used today involves the use of email. In this type of phishing scheme, a fake email is sent to you. For example, you might receive an email from a financial institution that you do business with or some company that you have transacted business with in the past.

For example, you might receive an email from your bank or from PayPal of eBay. The email will advise you that there has been some sort of problem discovered with your account and that you need to take action immediately in order to clear up the problem.

The email may include a form for you to fill out -- asking for personal and financial information. In the alternative, the email might include a link that takes you to a fake website that looks very much like the real thing. Once at the fake website, you will be directed to a page asking you to input personal and financial information.

Fake Website Phishing Scams

Another type of phishing scam, that actually relates to the email scheme just discussed, involves fake websites. In this regard, a fake website may be set up displaying information about a product or service that is appealing to consumers. Indeed, these websites are modeled after the real thing -- for example, the reputable ABC Store may have its website replicated by a person intent on committing identity theft.

Once the fake website is up and running, you will be directed to that website via an email or pop up window or some other electronic communication. You do to that site, shop and make what you think is a purchase. In reality, you have done nothing more than provide personal and financial information to someone who is intent on committing identity theft.