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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According to a 2016 report by Verizon, roughly 30 percent of spear phishing emails are opened by their targets.
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Pence's AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before Trump chose him to join the GOP presidential ticket.
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Pence’s AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before Trump chose him to join the GOP presidential ticket.
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Verizon noted that 23 percent of recipients open phishing messages.
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As a result of this changing landscape, Bit.ly, one of the most popular shortening services, has teamed up with popular anti-phishing and malware-tracking sites to warn users of suspect links.
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
First Known Use: 1997
Law Dictionary
phishing
playLegal 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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