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What is Phishing ?

Submitted by Srikanth on Sunday, 20 January 200837 Comments

Phishing is an attempt to criminally and fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by appearing as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. eBay, PayPal and other online banks are common targets. Phishing is typically carried out by email or instant messaging and often directs users to enter details at a website, although phone contact has also been used. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users. Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, public awareness, and technical measures.

Recent phishing attempts have targeted the customers of banks and online payment services. Social networking sites such as Orkut are also a target of phishing.

Spoofed/Fraudulent e-mails are the most widely used tools to carry out the phishing attack. In most cases we get a fake e-mail that appears to have come from a Trusted Website . Here the hacker may request us to verify username & password by replaying to a given email address.

TECHNIQUES BEHIND PHISHING ATTACK

1.Link Manipulation

Most methods of phishing use some form of technical deception designed to make a link in an email appear to belong to some trusted organization or spoofed organization. Misspelled URLs or the use of subdomains are common tricks used by phishers, such as this example URL

www.micosoft.com

www.mircosoft.com

www.verify-microsoft.com

instead of http://www.microsoft.com/

2.Filter Evasion

Phishers have used images instead of text to make it harder for anti-phishing filters to detect text commonly used in phishing emails. This is the reason Gmail or Yahoo will disable the images by default for incoming mails.

How does a phishing attack/scam look like?

As scam artists become more sophisticated, so do their phishing e-mail messages and pop-up windows. They often include official-looking logos from real organizations and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate Web sites. Here is an example of how the phishing scam email looks like

 

Example of a phishing e-mail message, including a deceptive URL address linking to a scam Web site.
To make these phishing e-mail messages look even more legitimate, the scam artists may place a link in them that appears to go to the legitimate Web site (1), but it actually takes you to a phishing site (2) or possibly a pop-up window that looks exactly like the official site.

These copycat sites are also called “spoofed” Web sites. Once you’re at one of these spoofed sites, you may send personal information to the hackers.

How to identify a fraudulent e-mail?

Here are a few phrases to look for if you think an e-mail message is a phishing scam.

“Verify your account.”

Legitimate sites will never ask you to send passwords, login names, Social Security numbers, or any other personal information through e-mail.

“If you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed.”

These messages convey a sense of urgency so that you’ll respond immediately without thinking.

“Dear Valued Customer.”

Phishing e-mail messages are usually sent out in bulk and often do not contain your first or last name.

“Click the link below to gain access to your account.”

HTML-formatted messages can contain links or forms that you can fill out just as you’d fill out a form on a Web site. The links that you are urged to click may contain all or part of a real company’s name and are usually “masked,” meaning that the link you see does not take you to that address but somewhere different, usually a scam Web site.

Notice in the following example that resting the mouse pointer on the link reveals the real Web address, as shown in the box with the yellow background. The string of cryptic numbers looks nothing like the company’s Web address, which is a suspicious sign.

 

So the Bottom line to defend from phishing attack is
 
1.Never assume that an email is valid based on the sender’s email address.
2.A trusted bank/organization such as paypal will never ask you for your full name and password in a PayPal email.
3.An email from trusted organization will never contain attachments or software.
4.Clicking on a link in an email is the most insecure way to get to your account.

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37 Comments »

  • marsfil said:

    can you explain how to hack password on any website using javascript

    my mail: marsfils@hotmail.fr
    thanks.
    And can send keyllogers by email?

    - 11 November 2008 at 10:26 pm
  • Sunny said:

    Can u plz tell me how to hack anyone’s password………!!

    plz hack harshsandy@yahoo.com password because he has hack my password…….!!
    plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz send me urgently………!!

    - 18 December 2008 at 12:58 pm
  • India said:

    There is a good tutorial on how to get password using Google pages and phishing
    http://googlephishing.wordpress.com/

    - 8 January 2009 at 8:25 pm
  • Young DooM said:

    what way to get visa or paypal nombers
    if u can answer me tell me all ways please

    - 12 February 2009 at 4:37 am
  • Rajiv said:

    I m getting confused. Is pishing attack n fake login page same typ? Recently i encountered n orkut page(fake i think) which wanted my login info n which claims to flood my scrap book wid 100000+ scraps…I logd in wid invalid (wrong) id n passwrd n der was no such topic…
    The fake page is http://www.sbflooderasim.tk

    although i used wrong info, i wud lyk to knw does my account has chances to get hackd coz at that tym i was logd in orkut in another window.
    can u kindly check that site n let us knw whether its usin phishin attack or fake login page???
    Pls Plz Pls Plz Pls Plz Pls Plz
    thanks in advance.

    - 13 February 2009 at 2:22 am
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ Rajiv

    The page is 200% FAKE. It’s truely fake. never login with your original username & pass. If you hav used an invalid username & pass, nothing to worry. Otherwise it is highly recommended that you change your password and keep ur account safe…

    - 13 February 2009 at 10:19 pm
  • Rajiv said:

    Thank you very much for the information… But I hav used invalid username and password… i am safe… Yuuhuuu!!!!

    - 14 February 2009 at 5:15 pm
  • dhan said:

    i really need your help guys. i think my wife is cheating on me can please tell me how hack her password..

    and please hack vangie0816@yahoo.com password i will your reply guys.
    thanks a lot…..

    - 11 March 2009 at 11:38 am
  • abhishek said:

    hey…when i tried to sign up on yahoo by username yahoo account update,yahoo asked for some email address..and was displaying (id name)@yahoo.in…..is there’s any risk in getting yahoo.in???????

    - 24 March 2009 at 8:13 pm
  • Vithulan said:

    Hi Srikatnth Bro,
    May I know about PHP(login.php)
    I’ve Created an account in 110mb and uploaded files(yahoo sign in menu) I checked is it work correctly, But It doesen’t apeares Images(Yahoo! ,etc)
    Pls Help me brother…….. pls pls pls pls pls pls pls
    Bye.

    - 25 March 2009 at 12:04 pm
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ abhishek

    There’s no risk!

    - 29 March 2009 at 9:27 am
  • Amar said:

    Hello Srikanth brother,
    It is a good hacking tutorial website and could you anwer my question.Can we deactivate the DLL of protected orkut account?If so pls…pls…pls…pls tell me. Please brother.
    Bye….

    - 9 April 2009 at 11:59 am
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ Amar

    What do you mean by DLL protected?

    - 12 April 2009 at 7:57 pm
  • naani said:

    hello bro i like this site very much..can u tell me how to block yahoo account..my friend has blocked my yahoo account but not hacked..so plzz tel me how to block a yahoo account and also tel how to unblock it…plzz plz reply to my answer

    - 4 May 2009 at 1:47 pm
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ naani

    What exactly do you mean by blocking a yahoo account? Tell me in detail.

    - 6 May 2009 at 11:29 am
  • hanna said:

    hi i make new yahoo so what i will do after that
    hack the persson password how can send him e massage
    and how i will do i link ?
    send me this email the subscribe updateaccount88@yahoo.com
    thanks

    - 6 May 2009 at 1:08 pm
  • john said:

    hey can you hack her myspace and send me the password on myspace mine is rockinjohn@myspace.com or monroejohn66@yahoo.com i think shes cheating on me pleeeeeze send me it!!

    - 9 May 2009 at 4:12 am
  • john said:

    hey hack her myspace for me i think shes cheating on me please her email is ticklemymonica@aim.com message me on myspace rockinjohn@myspace.com or send me an email monroejohn66@yahoo.com

    - 9 May 2009 at 4:15 am
  • ashok yadav said:

    plz tell me that the orkut is how hack
    because my orkut has hacked

    - 26 May 2009 at 8:11 pm
  • Parveen Kumar said:

    Helo sir. i m a big fan of yours..

    I need some of your help…

    about from some days my all orkut and yahoo accounts r being hackeh by a friend of mine.. if i make a new acc. he hacks tah also. so plz help me to get back my accounts .. and i wanna to hack his acc…

    - 28 May 2009 at 12:08 am
  • jay said:

    can u plzz hack this gmail password…wondervicky@gmail.com…plzzz plzzzzzzzzz

    - 3 June 2009 at 10:47 am
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ Praveen Kumar

    Refer the following post
    How to protect your Orkut account

    - 7 June 2009 at 6:34 am
  • lagnajit said:

    hi srikanth,
    i want some help.my orkut account has been hacked.i want to get out of this.Can u plz tell me how these hackers are hacking my account.

    - 8 June 2009 at 8:46 am
  • vito scalleta said:

    hello Srikanth ! please publish a post Of how to phish rapidshare accounts , we will be very greatful to you !

    - 2 July 2009 at 5:38 pm
  • Sam Mitchell said:

    Look forward to reading more from you in the future. check out my site and let me know what you think, its got other freebies as well as phone tricks, hope you like :)

    - 2 July 2009 at 8:39 pm
  • Sushant said:

    hey man plz help me out on haw to hack hi5 accouuts plzzzz

    - 4 July 2009 at 7:33 am
  • Sushant said:

    my id is tomorrowjoe_chang@yahoo.com

    - 4 July 2009 at 8:10 am
  • Karthik said:

    hello srikanth !

    i beg you you really ! please please help me !

    See i read your post ” how to make fake login page”

    please can i add you? i need you help..in 8th step !

    ppls i askd soo many persons to help me in thaT !they all dont know!

    plzxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx i beg you !
    plx dont regret this !

    thank u frnd ! thank u soo much !
    plx…bye thanks thanks aloT ! i wont 4get you ! bye and tc

    plx do reply !p lx..

    - 9 July 2009 at 8:53 pm
  • Bill said:

    Hi. I got a spoofed email once. It said it was from paypal. It was something about verifying my account info or something like that. It said if i don’t re enter my account info by the date selected then i would be suspended but i haven’t been suspended so it had to of been a spoofed email. I was about to click the link on the page but then i thought what the heck would they need my account info for. I ran my mouse over the link and it had that sting of numbers in the yellow box.

    - 21 September 2009 at 6:40 am
  • Arun said:

    Hello Srikanth,

    am the regular visitor of this site, and i gain very huge amount of knowledge form you…and the forums.
    Now i have a query….hope u’ll solve it.
    I want to know can i hack hotmail account if yes then please provide me the details…..along with the fake login site and its .php and also tell how do the upload it on my 110mb.com account.
    i hope u’ll not disappoint me.
    Bye for now……take care..!!

    - 1 October 2009 at 8:38 pm
  • ajay said:

    its a great site.very helping and educational.

    - 13 December 2009 at 8:56 pm
  • ananya said:

    some girl in my school has made an account on orkut to malign my name. how can i remove it?

    - 26 January 2010 at 3:58 pm
  • Jinesh said:

    Ha ha… Lot of Black eyes.. Trying to hack any accounts easily…
    But Srikanth deal with them in right manner.. Great brother…

    - 7 February 2010 at 11:56 pm
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ ananya

    Report it for abuse to the Orkut team. They will remove it if they feel that you are abused!

    - 12 February 2010 at 2:10 pm
  • Fkozh said:

    Can Snyperspy be ordered online and mailed to an address overseas?

    - 21 February 2010 at 1:12 am
  • Fkozh said:

    I need snyperspy desperately and I could’nt download it from the website so if there is a possibilty to ordered it online and get mailed to my address It would save me from a lot of trouble.

    Thank you

    - 21 February 2010 at 1:17 am
  • Srikanth (author) said:

    @ Fkozh

    It is possible to get Sniperspy mailed to your address. Just order for a CD and you’ll get it mailed.

    - 22 February 2010 at 6:09 pm

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