Definition of phishing
:a scam by which an e-mail user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly
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Recent Examples of phishing from the Web
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Norton Security is the single solution that protects all of your devices & data from online threats like viruses, malware and phishing.
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Amazon Prime members beware: There’s a phishing scam going around in which cyberfrauds thank you for your recent order on amazon.com and then offer you a $50 bonus for taking time to write a review of the product.
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John Podesta, then campaign chairman for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, infamously fell for a similar phishing scam that gave hackers a direct line into his emails.
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The Russian phishing attack on the Democratic Party began—as the FBI noted—as early as 2014, well before Trump was even considered to be a candidate.
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One product that is effective in protecting against phishing of online accounts is the Security Key, which is a physical device that connects to your computer just like a thumb drive.
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Ben Martin is chief operating officer of VR Systems, the Florida firm targeted by a Russian phishing attack in 2016.
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Winner is accused of leaking a document showing how Russian intelligence operatives used a phishing scam to hack voting software in Florida.
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So far, Humboldt County has found no evidence that anyone in the elections office received the phishing emails, County Clerk Kelly Sanders said.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phishing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Phishing is one of the many new computer-related terms that have found their way into the general lexicon over the past decade or so. Its "ph" spelling is influenced by an earlier word for an illicit act: "phreaking." Phreaking involves fraudulently using an electronic device to avoid paying for telephone calls, and its name is suspected of being a shortening of "phone freak." A common phishing scam involves sending e-mails that appear to come from banks requesting recipients to verify their accounts by typing personal details, such as credit card information, into a Web site that has been disguised to look like the real thing. Such scams can be thought of as "fishing" for naive recipients.
Origin and Etymology of phishing
alteration (influenced by phreaking) of fishing
Law Dictionary
phishing
play
noun
phish·ing
\
ˈfi-shiŋ
\
legal Definition of phishing
:a fraudulent operation by which an e-mail user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which can be used for illicit purposes (as identity theft)
Origin and Etymology of phishing
alteration of fishing (probably influenced by phreaking illegal access to a phone system)
Learn More about phishing
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Nglish: Translation of phishing for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about phishing
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