Phishing

Phishing is a scam that uses email and the internet to trick people into revealing their personal or financial information. It's named after a common fishing method called “spear phishing,” where one or two people (the “spears”) go after fish in a small area.

In this scam, phishers try to catch many fish with one email by sending messages to many people. The message is often disguised as something from a bank or retail store — like an online purchase confirmation — but it actually contains malicious links or attachments that can install malware on your computer.