One In Ten Snared by Fake Phishing Messages
One in 10 internet users may be lured into handing over sensitive personal information such as a credit card number, by fraudulent “phishing” emails, research suggests.
A phishing message closely resembles a legitimate email from a genuine bank or online shop. It typically encourages the recipient to click on a link that leads to a bogus version of that company’s website, where they are asked to enter their account information. This data is then captured and can be used to pilfer a bank or shop account.
Previous studies, including a telephone survey conducted by US research company Gartner in 2004, have indicated that about 5% of all internet users have fallen for phishing messages.
But Markus Jakobsson and Jacob Ratkiewicz at Indiana University, US, suspected this was an underestimation. The reasoned that some survey participants may not have realised that they have been stung by a phishing scam, or may simply be too embarrassed to admit to it.
