# phishing

/ˈfɪʃɪŋ/ (US) · /fˈɪʃɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/phishing
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. online scamming

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the crime of sending fake emails that look real to steal your passwords or bank details.

For teachers: the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information.

- The bank warned its customers never to click links in suspicious emails to avoid phishing.
- Security experts noted a significant increase in spear phishing attacks targeting high-level executives within the financial sector last quarter.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the activity; often used as a modifier before nouns like 'attack', 'email', or 'scam'.

## Examples

- I deleted the email because I knew it was phishing.
- The company's IT department sent out a warning after several employees fell victim to a phishing scam targeting their login details.
- Modern phishing campaigns have become increasingly sophisticated, employing social engineering tactics and high-fidelity visual clones of legitimate banking portals to bypass traditional security awareness.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.