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

Example Sentences

Depositing small amounts of money with accompanying phone numbers is a relatively common phishing scam to trick you into calling fake customer-support numbers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

It does not offer malware or phishing protection, both of which are provided by some competitors.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Banks or police can now freeze accounts if they determine that a person is giving money to scammers, including falling for a fake job offer or a phishing attack.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

So-called phishing attacks see criminals attempt to convince users to part with passcodes, money or details about their identity - often by impersonating customer support agents, friends, family and celebrities.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Once in a while I’d leak stuff about phishing scams.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin