phisher
Fake email sender
A phisher is someone who practices phishing—sending fraudulent emails or messages designed to trick recipients into revealing passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information.
Phishers typically impersonate legitimate institutions like banks or tech companies: The phisher spoofed our company's login page.
The spelling with "ph" follows hacker tradition from "phreaking" (phone system hacking).
One who defrauds others
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- con-artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- impersonatorOne who copies others
impostor · charlatan · pretender · catfish · cybercriminal · hacker · attacker · grifter
Personalized fraudulent solicitation
- spoofingFraudulent imitation
- vishingVoice-based identity theft
- pharmingTraffic redirection cyberattack
- malwareHarmful computer programs
keylogger · ransomware · spyware · botnet · exploit · backdoor · cyberattack · hacking
Thing that tempts
- baitLure for prey
- hookCurved catching device
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
- masqueradeDeceptive act or costume party
impersonation · disguise · pretense · hoax · trickery · subterfuge · artifice · guile
Evidence of qualification or identity
- passwordsSecret authentication strings
- loginsAccount access instances
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- PINsIdentity-verifying number sequences
victim · mark · target · gullibility
scammer
One who defrauds others
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- con-artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
impersonator · impostor · charlatan · pretender · catfish · cybercriminal · hacker · attacker · grifter · deceiver
spearphishing
Personalized fraudulent solicitation
- spoofingFraudulent imitation
- vishingVoice-based identity theft
- pharmingTraffic redirection cyberattack
malware · keylogger · ransomware · spyware · botnet · exploit · backdoor · cyberattack · hacking · whaling
lure
Thing that tempts
masquerade · impersonation · disguise · pretense · hoax · trickery · subterfuge · artifice · guile · ruse
credentials
Evidence of qualification or identity
- passwordsSecret authentication strings
- loginsAccount access instances
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
PINs · victim · mark · target · gullibility
- Crookscrook, swindler, fraudster, embezzler, con artist
- swindlerscon artist, swindler, fraudster, scammer, grifter
- cybercriminalshacker, hackers, scammer, scammers, fraudster
- online usersnetizen, casual user, new user, follower, active user
- Online Manipulatorstroll, bot, shill, sock puppet, sockpuppet
- cybersecurityantivirus, malware, firewall, firewalls, encryption
phishersecurity analyst
Expert evaluating protective measures
fraud investigator · security researcher · security engineer · spam filter · security software
- phishing scamDigital identity theft ruse
- phishing attackDeceptive attempt to steal credentials
- phishing callFraudulent call seeking credentials
- phishing schemesDeceptive identity theft tactics
- spear phishingPersonalized digital deception attack