Phishing attacks have become one of the most common and damaging forms of cybercrime today. As seen in the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 16% of cyberattacks began with a phishing attack.
With organizations and individuals relying on digital communications, cybercriminals have perfected the art of tricking victims into revealing sensitive information, downloading malicious software, or giving access to secure systems. Understanding the different types of phishing is crucial for anyone who wants to protect themselves, their personal data, or their organization from potentially catastrophic losses.
Phishing is a type of cyberattack in which attackers attempt to trick individuals into disclosing sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or personal identification information. Attackers often masquerade as trusted entities, such as banks, government agencies, or well-known brands, to appear legitimate.
The primary goal of phishing is to manipulate human behavior. Unlike many other cyber threats, phishing exploits trust rather than technical vulnerabilities, making it a particularly effective and dangerous form of cybercrime.
Go deeper: What is a phishing attack?
According to the study Mitigation strategies against the phishing attacks: A systematic literature review, “More recently phishing has targeted organizations and made them suffer in terms of cost to contain malware, productivity loses, cost to contain credential compromise, and cost of ransomware from phishing, besides loss of reputation in front of their customers and competitors. It is relevant to state that phishing appeared as the costliest attack vector in 2022 with an average cost of US Dollars 4.91 million per data breach.”
Phishing attacks can have other serious consequences, including:
“Phishing can be performed over different mediums using different vectors; three mediums used commonly for phishing include (1) the Internet, (2) short messaging services, and (3) voice. Within each of these mediums, different vectors are used to execute the attack,” notes the authors of the study, Mitigation strategies against the phishing attacks: A systematic literature review. Furthermore, IBM states that “The kinds of lures phishing scammers use depend on whom and what they are after.” Common phishing types include:
Email phishing is the most common form of phishing, accounting for 90% of successful cyberattacks, which often begin with a phishing email. Attackers send emails that appear to come from legitimate sources, such as banks, online retailers, or colleagues, urging recipients to take immediate action.
How it works: “The body of the email instructs the recipient to take a seemingly reasonable action that results in divulging sensitive information or downloading malware. For example, a phishing link might read, "Click here to update your profile," as IBM notes. The links in the email may redirect the recipient to a fake website that looks like the legitimate site. Victims are tricked into entering sensitive information, which is then stolen by the attacker.
Example: A person receives an email claiming their bank account will be locked unless they verify their identity immediately. The email includes a link that leads to a fake login page designed to capture credentials.
Prevention tips:
See also: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide (2025 Update)
Spear phishing is a targeted form of phishing, typically targeting privileged individuals with access to sensitive data or special authority that the scammer can exploit.
How it works: Attackers research the target, gathering information from social media, company websites, or previous communications. To lure the target, they craft messages that appear highly relevant, increasing the likelihood of the recipient falling for the scam.
Example: An employee receives an email appearing to be from their company’s HR department, referencing a recent project and asking them to click on a link to update their payroll information.
Prevention tips:
Read also: Counter spear-phishing with DMARC mitigation methods
Smishing uses SMS text messages instead of emails to deceive targets. The message typically contains a link or a phone number prompting the recipient to take action.
How it works: Attackers create a sense of urgency in the message, similar to email phishing. Clicking on any links embedded in the message may lead to a malicious website, or calling the provided number may connect the victim to a scammer.
Example: A text message claims the recipient’s package delivery is delayed, asking them to click a link to reschedule. The link leads to a site that steals personal information or installs malware on their device.
Prevention tips:
Related: Best cyber hygiene practices in text messaging
Vishing involves attackers making phone calls to deceive victims into revealing personal information. Unlike email or SMS phishing, vishing relies on verbal manipulation.
How it works: Attackers often pose as representatives from banks, government agencies, or tech support. According to IBM, “Scammers often use caller ID spoofing to make their calls appear to come from legitimate organizations or local phone numbers.” These callers create urgency or fear, such as threatening account suspension or legal action. Victims are persuaded to provide sensitive information over the phone.
Example: A person receives a call from someone claiming to be their bank, warning of suspicious activity. The caller asks for the victim’s account number and PIN to “verify” the account.
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Whaling is a type of spear phishing that specifically targets high-level executives or individuals with access to sensitive company data. Because these individuals hold valuable information, whaling attacks are often highly sophisticated.
How it works: Attackers spend time researching the executive or decision-maker in an organization. Emails are then carefully crafted to mimic legitimate communications, often regarding legal, financial, or operational matters. The goal is to extract sensitive data, authorize financial transactions, or compromise systems.
Example: A CEO receives an email appearing to be from a law firm, requesting urgent approval for a merger agreement. The email contains a malicious link or attachment.
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Clone phishing involves creating a nearly identical copy of a legitimate email that the victim has previously received. The cloned email is modified to include malicious links or attachments.
How it works: Attackers exploit the familiarity of the original email to build trust. Victims may not notice subtle changes and click on the malicious link. The attacker can then steal credentials, install malware, or gain unauthorized access.
Example: An employee receives an updated invoice email that looks identical to a previous one but contains a link to a malware-infected document.
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Pharming redirects users from legitimate websites to fraudulent ones, often without the user realizing it. Unlike other phishing types, pharming does not require the user to click a link in an email or message.
How it works: Attackers manipulate the Domain Name System (DNS) or infect the user’s computer with malware. Users attempting to access a legitimate website are redirected to a fake site. The fake site captures login credentials or financial information.
Example: A person types their bank’s web address into a browser but is redirected to a fraudulent site that looks identical to the official bank site.
Prevention tips:
Read also: Network segmentation to defend pharming
Angler phishing occurs on social media platforms, where attackers impersonate customer service accounts to steal personal information or credentials.
How it works: Attackers create fake profiles resembling the official accounts of brands. They respond to customer inquiries or complaints, directing users to malicious links. Victims provide sensitive information, believing they are communicating with a legitimate source.
Example: A customer posts a complaint on Twitter about a delayed order. A fake customer service account replies, asking the customer to provide credit card details to resolve the issue.
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Business Email Compromise is a sophisticated phishing attack targeting companies to authorize fraudulent payments or transfers. BEC attacks often involve impersonation of company executives or trusted partners.
How it works: Attackers infiltrate or spoof legitimate business email accounts and then send requests for urgent wire transfers or sensitive documents. The requests appear legitimate due to realistic language, company-specific details, and accurate sender information.
Example: An accounts payable clerk receives an email appearing to be from the CFO, requesting an urgent wire transfer to a new vendor account. The transfer ends up in the attacker’s account.
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Search engine phishing involves creating fake websites that appear in search engine results. Users are tricked into visiting these sites and providing personal information.
How it works: Attackers use SEO techniques to rank fake websites highly in search results. Users may not notice subtle URL differences, and their personal information entered on the fake site is captured by attackers.
Example: A person searches for a popular bank online, clicks a top search result, and enters login credentials on a fraudulent site designed to look like the bank’s homepage.
Prevention tips:
Phishing emails and messages often contain subtle signs that can help you identify them before it’s too late. Watch out for common red flags, such as:
Recognizing these warning signs is the first step toward staying safe from phishing attacks.
Learn more:
Defending against phishing requires combining human awareness and technical safeguards. The following actionable strategies can be implemented on the mitigation methods:
Go deeper: Steps to protect against phishing attacks
Immediately disconnect from the internet, run a malware scan, and change your passwords, especially for accounts that may have been exposed. Report the incident to your organization’s IT/security team or the relevant service provider.
No system is 100% secure. However, organizations can drastically reduce their risk by combining employee training, strong authentication, email filtering, and clear incident response plans.