Phishing and Spoofing
Phishing and spoofing are somewhat synonymous in that they refer to forged or faked electronic documents.
Phishing
This is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to deceive consumers
into disclosing their card numbers, bank account information, social security numbers,
passwords, or other personal information. Phishers send an email or pop-up message
that claims to be from a business or organization that you deal with — for
example, your Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or
even a government agency. The message usually says that you need to "update" or
"validate" your personal information, such as user names, passwords, credit cards,
social security numbers, and bank accounts.
The email might threaten some dire consequence if you don't respond. The email often directs you to visit a "spoofed" or fake website that looks just like a legitimate organization's site, but it isn't. The purpose of the bogus site? To trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
Spoofing
In this scam, the spoofer creates a false or shadow copy of a real website or email
in a way that misleads the recipient. All network traffic between the victim's browser
and the shadow page are sent through the spoofer's machine. It allows the spoofer
to acquire personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and account
numbers.
Even though the email looks like the real thing, complete with authentic logos and working Web links, it's a fake. The website where you're told to enter your account information is also fake. In some instances, really slick phishers and spoofers direct you to the genuine website, then pop up a window over the site that captures your personal information. The information entered does not go to the legitimate site, but rather to the spoofer's account. The information you entered will most likely be sold to criminals, who'll use it to ruin your credit and drain your account.
Read More about Phishing Schemes
http://www.antiphishing.org
