These are usually e-mails disguised as official correspondence designed to trick Internet users into disclosing important information such as passwords and PINs. Fake text messages are also frequently sent. Reputable service providers never ask for confidential customer data by e-mail, telephone or text message. If you receive an e-mail asking you to enter secret personal data, you should not reply to it or open any attachments or links contained in it.

The term phishing is derived from fishing for personal data. The substitution of F for Ph results from the combination of the words password harvesting. In other words, the fraudsters want to harvest as many passwords and access data as possible.

Phishing attack targets are primarily access data for banking portals, payment systems such as PayPal, online stores or Internet auction houses. The stolen access data can cause a great deal of damage, above all financial loss, of course, but also the installation of malware or damage to reputation by assuming the victim's identity.

The latest warnings can be found in the phishing radar of the consumer advice centers. The alert informs you about current threats. In a connected forum, you have the opportunity to find out about the phishing e-mails currently in circulation from the individual providers.