phishing

British  

/ ˈfɪʃɪŋ /

noun

1. the practice of using fraudulent e-mails and copies of legitimate websites to extract financial data from computer users for purposes of identity theft

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Etymology

Origin of phishing

C21: from fishing in the sense of catching the unwary by offering bait; computer-hacker slang often replaces f with ph

Explanation

Phishing is a scam in which someone emails a victim intending to trick them into revealing bank numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information. Phishing messages often appear to come from reputable companies. Phishing is a common cybercrime involving fraudulent messages that look very real. The person receiving the email may believe it's from their bank, for example, asking them to confirm their social security number or credit card details. With this information, the attacker can move to identity theft, installing malware, or stealing money directly from the victim's account. Hackers reportedly started using this term around 1995, influenced by phreak, a slang word for someone who hacks into a phone system.

Example Sentences

Phishing and other cyber scams are becoming bigger, more targeted and more convincing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

Beware of urgency: Phishing often relies on creating a sense of urgency.

From Salon • Sep. 26, 2024

Phishing attempts were almost 200% higher during the period than they were from October to December, the internet security company reported.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2024

Phishing emails prompt would-be victims to disclose sensitive information by clicking on a link or pop-up.

From Washington Times • Nov. 24, 2023

Phishing scams like this are believed to stretch wider than Eurovision and the city of Liverpool.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2023