Phishing is a term used to refer to a variety of different types of online scams and cyber attacks in which the fraudsters pose as individuals or organizations in an attempt to lure their victims into divulging sensitive personal information. Cybercriminals have traditionally carried out phishing attacks primarily via email, but they can also use malicious websites, texts, and phone calls to phish for sensitive data.

There are many different types of phishing attacks designed to trick you into giving up a variety of information, most commonly account login credentials, bank account numbers, and credit card details. Scammers particularly target older individuals, who may not be as tech-savvy and aware of online scams, for phishing attacks. Once the scammers get their hands on your sensitive information via a phishing attack, they can use it to make purchases with your payment cards, transfer money from your bank accounts, steal your identity, or sell it to others who will use it to do some or all of the above.