Wirebook › Glossary › Phishing
What is phishing?
In one sentence: A fake message dressed up as someone you trust, sent to trick you into clicking a link or handing over a password, code or card.
A little more
Phishing is when someone sends a message pretending to be a company, a school, a game or a friend, hoping you'll click a link and type in a password, a code from your phone or card details. The name comes from fishing: the message is bait, and the thief waits to see who bites.
Fakes usually leave clues: they rush you, offer something too good to be true, ask for a secret, come from an address that doesn't match the name, or have a link whose real owner is someone else. The safest answer is to close the message and go to the app or website yourself.
It's a bit like… A wolf in a grandma costume: the voice and the shawl look right, but check the ears and teeth before you get close.