What method is commonly used in a phishing attack?

In a phishing attack, sending fraudulent emails is a primary method used by cybercriminals to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers. The fraudulent emails typically impersonate legitimate organizations, often prompting the recipient to click on harmful links or download malicious attachments that install malware or lead to fake websites.

Phishing relies heavily on social engineering techniques to create a sense of urgency or fear, encouraging recipients to bypass their usual caution. The effectiveness of this method lies in its ability to exploit trust in well-known brands and organizations, which is why it remains a prevalent tactic in cyber attacks.

Alternative methods like social media intrusion, direct phone calls, and physical document theft may be part of broader strategies for information theft but are not as specifically associated with the defined practice of phishing. Social media may involve different tactics, like impersonation or data scraping. Direct phone calls can relate to vishing (voice phishing), which is another form of phishing but not the commonly recognized type. Physical document theft is unrelated to the digital nature of phishing as it involves material theft rather than deception through electronic means.