Definition of phishing
: a scam by which an Internet user is duped (as by a deceptive e-mail message) into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly
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phishing was our Word of the Day on 08/17/2007. Hear the podcast!
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Recent Examples of phishing from the Web
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The phishing email came from a hacker who pretended to be a company employee.
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The material includes advice for designating a single manager to lead a cybersecurity program, and for avoiding common security threats such as phishing, and other guidance, said Ms. Todt.
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The invasions included ransomware, which makes a computer's files unusable unless the device's user or owner pays a ransom, and phishing, in which emails that look legitimate are used to steals information.
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Disney’s government fell victim to an email phishing scheme that ended up costing about $94,000, documents show.
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The investigation revealed that Ojo controlled the email accounts used in the phishing scheme, officials said.
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Meanwhile, the people behind phishing attacks are getting much better.
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Typically, if a user clicks on a link in a phishing email, that malicious code is able to spread throughout the network unimpeded, stealing secrets or shutting down key functions of the device-like opening a door to a home.
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Ohio State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham are among those that have recently used phishing simulations as preventive education.
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
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
Seen and Heard
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