What Is Phishing - Be Aware Of Internet And Email Attacks

Once you are connected to Internet, you have to be very much cautious about your each and every move, especially when you are checking your emails. It's not always viruses who try to harm you, but there are many other things on Internet who are continuously trying to spoil your privacy, destroy your identity and steal your money in any way, and I real mean it (take it very seriously). The people behind any kind of such activities are known as Hackers.

We have already discussed that what are Internet Cookies, what information it contains and we also know how to clean such junk files from computer with the help of a software name CCleaner. But unfortunately hackers are more smarter than you.  They know how to steal the information from you and from your computer. It's really important for every computer and Internet user to be aware of the things which are related to Internet attacks and make sure that he doesn't become a part of it.

One of the biggest problem on Internet are Phishing attacks, which are very common and that's how most of the time naive users often gets hacked, theft and bankrupted with a little help from the Shortened or Long URLs.

What is Phishing ?

It's not FISHING but PHISHING. The logic of both the things are the same. If you have ever done fishing before you would be knowing it that how you catches a fish. You actually fool a fish with the help of little worm and catches it. In the same way bad guys on Internet so called Phishers play a scam game with you and easily traps you in the fish net or hook. (Interesting Isn't It)

Enough Of Bla Bla.. Lets Talk Real

The bad guys tries to fool you by making a copy of the original websites and then they send you fake emails with links which redirects you (if you click such links) to those fake websites, that’s called Phishing. These fake websites are used to grab your personal information like E-mails, Passwords, credit card numbers and any other personal information which may be useful to them.

Phishing is a way to trick you into doing something you don’t want to do. Phishers wants your personal information. Whatever is personal to you, they want to know as well.

How Phishing is done?

The process and the method these bad guys use to steal your personal information is very interesting. It's interesting because you will send them all of your information without even knowing it.

1. As already said above, Phishing attacks are done by sending you a link via email.

2. In those emails, Phishers try their best to write story in such a way that you get tempted to click on the links given in that email.

3. Once you click those links, you are redirected to a website which looks like a real one, but in actual it's a fake website which will try to fool you.

4. Now on that website, either their will be some kind of form which it will ask you to fill it or the website will try to install a small software in your PC.

5. In either way, the purpose is to get your personal information via online form or from the files stored in your PC, which than will be forwarded to the bad guys or shall we say to Phishers.

6. Once phishers have your personal details, now they will use your contacts (email address book) and will send same fake email to all of your family and friend members. And the same process goes on and on and on.

Phishing emails are made in such a way that it looks like a real email from real source. For example see picture below which is a fake email from a US bank.

 

In such emails, the bad guys or phishers will make a story and will try their best to make you believe and trust them. In such emails they may say that  "Important, your Gmail account has been violated" or "If you choose to ignore our request, we have no choice but to suspend your account." Such stories may make you fool and you may click the links which are given in the email and if you do so, you become a victim.

Still Confused...let me explain you in easy steps

How I Will Get Trapped?

1, You will receive an email from your friend (believe me it will be the same address as of your friend) and the phisher will make a story so that you click the link which he has given in the email.

OR The email can also be from your Bank, paypal, amazon site, facebook, google, yahoo etc means it can be from anyone whom you know very well, but actually it will not be from that source at all because it is a trick which these bad guys are using to trap you.

2. Then after clicking the link (which was there in the email) you will be redirected to a fake website. The phishing website is designed to look like a company's real website. On that page you may be asked to enter your login information, or your account no. and other bank related details. And incase you enter the information on that page, you surely are going to regret it all of your life. Because all of your information will then be forwarded to the phishers which they will use it against you.

Last Words

Please watch the video below as well to have a much better understanding about these Phishing Attacks. In my next post I will advise how you can protect yourself from these attacks and how you can really become a smart guy more than these phishers.

 

Thanks & Regards,

"Remember Me When You Raise Your Hand For Dua"
Raheel Ahmed Khan
System Engineer
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