Dictionary · Hacking Techniques and Methodologies

A message that pretends to come from a trusted party and tries to make someone reveal a secret, approve a payment, or open a harmful file.

Look at the real domain, not the display name. Organizations reduce the damage with multi-factor login, a simple report button, and payment checks that do not rely on the message itself.

Example: An email shows a company logo but the link points at a look-alike domain. The user reports it instead of entering a password.