How does Phishing work?

I was told that my email was Phished, what exactlly does that mean %26amp; how is it done?How does Phishing work?
"Phishing" is the art of grabbing hold of people's details online, often through means of sending an e-mail (usually at random) made to look like it's come from, for example eBay, PayPal or a bank (not necessarily one you actually have an account with) usually in the form of an image............. and usually has some bullsh*t in it about you having to click the link in it in order to confirm your details with them after some sort of "security upgrade"..... which then takes you to a webpage made to look like part of that organisation's website with a form to that looks like either a log-in page or a signing up page........... which when the SUBMIT button is pressed, e-mails them details to the nobhead running the phishing scam.



So, phishing is basically a form on online Identity theft.



Here's some more blurb about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing

http://www.antiphishing.org/

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security鈥?/a>



My method of determining an e-mail is a phishing attempt is simple:

1) If I don't have any form of account with that organisation, it's a fake.



2) If I do have an account with that organisation, hover your mouse button over the link, and look what it says in the status bar in the bottom of the window (or look at the e-mail's source code).

Usually instead of the authentic webaddress for that organisation, it's an ip address.

Another way is they've put a subdomain on the end of another domain name to lengthen it out, such as for example:

http://www.barclays.com.random-domain-na鈥?/a>



Before opening, make sure you've got either ZONEALARM INTERNET SECURITY SUITE, or free ZoneAlarm firewall install, fully updated %26amp; cranked up to the highest firewall setting + the same with any anti-virus + anti-spyware (e.g. SPYBOT: Search %26amp; Destroy) installed on your computer.



Then report the e-mail via http://www.spamcop.net before deleting it.How does Phishing work?
lets not forget winpatrol its awesome..

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How does Phishing work?
It means that someone ... a scam artist ... will send out multiple emails to random emial addresses in hopes that just a few of them will respond ... this can be like a false advertisement asking you for personal information or anything like that... hopefully you havent given out any information over the internet to someone who you didnt know...



the email account itself could have been phished by you trying to log into your email account from a fake webpage. It happens to alot of people unfortunately.
Tell me your email password and I will give you your answer. J/K



That is a very simple example of fishing, you ask enough people for their private info and eventually someone will give it up.



Regards