The internet is a vast repository of information, both useful and rubbish. Junk information and worthless padding does no one any good. But there is a difference with sensitive and useful information. Some of this information is extremely valuable to many people and should only be restricted for the benefit of the owners, for example bank account access information.

The hackers know this and see this as a profitable, if illegal, business opportunity – they are actively trying their best to lay their hand on this information most likely to sell on to fraudsters. Phishing is an area of financial crime targeted at illegally acquiring sensitive information such as passwords, user names, credit card information and bank account details. The crooks perpetrating this crime masquerade as trustworthy entities via electronic communication. Unsuspecting victims are lured to providing this information by email communications purporting to be from banks, auction sites, online payment platforms or social networking sites.

Most of phishing on the internet is done via email or instant messaging. The users are often directed to enter details at defrauding websites made to feel and look like the legitimate ones. Phishers also create programs that they use to glean personal and financial information from the unsuspecting public. These programs are passed in pieces of software programing called “Trojans” and “worms”. They include keyboard loggers that record every punch of the key you hit, such as when you enter a bank account password. The recorded information is then passed back to the hacker via your internet connection.

It is hard to detect that a site is fake but there are few pointers that may help you detect a false entity from the real one that it purports to be. Swindling websites may have an element of “flashy” representation. This may include the use of emboldened words and screaming colors such as bright red for the heading. Most, if not all online payment platforms use Internet addresses with “https” rather than the usual “http” format. Sometimes it is easy to overlook the “s” included in the first http prefix. “S” standards for “secured”. You should check for this when providing sensitive information.

Criminal investigations into phishing are difficult when the fraudsters are based in remote countries in Russia, Eastern Europe or the Far East.Therefore, the best cure is prevention as with most things. User training and perfected security systems reduce the chances of phishing.