What is phishing?

Phishing is an attempt to trick you into revealing credentials or payment details, usually via a fake website reached through email or a link.

By AlertaSpam Security Team. Published August 7, 2026

Phishing typically works by imitating a trusted organization — a bank, a delivery company, a government portal — closely enough that the fake page looks legitimate at a glance. The goal is almost always to capture a login, a one-time code, or payment details.

It differs from smishing (delivered by SMS) and vishing (delivered by voice call) mainly in the delivery channel — email and instant messaging are the classic phishing channels, though the tactics overlap heavily.

The single most reliable defense is to never enter credentials on a page you reached by clicking a link in an unsolicited message — navigate to the real site yourself instead.