Vikas is busy at work when he receives an e-mail from his wife. She wants his bank account details.

Unhesitatingly, he keys the details in and hits the 'send' button. Only, his wife never sent him such an e-mail!

Vikas then checks his bank account, and notices several unknown transactions. Vikas is another victim of the phenomenon called 'phishing'.

What you should know about Phishing

Phishing is a criminal activity used to collect confidential information such as your credit card number, bank account access details and so on.

Typically, you receive an e-mail from a familiar looking e-mail ID (like info@abcdbank.com). The mail would contain sensitive, threatening or provocative messages, prompting you to respond immediately.

Also Read: Look Out! They are Phishing for You

Don't Bite these Baits!

Watch out for these common baits in your e-mail. These may come in the form of subject matter, or even in the body of your e-mail.

• Your bank account is disabled
• Technical or statutory verification
• Action required for security reasons
• You have won a surprise gift
• Verify security upgrades

The idea is to get you to click the given link in the message. This takes you to a site that looks authentic (similar to your bank’s web site, for example).

Also Read: You Have Been Scammed

You think you have logged on to your bank’s site and key in confidential banking information.

What you have done, effectively, is give sensitive information on a platter to fraudsters. And you bet they will misuse it, leaving you to foot the bill.

Problem is, once realisation dawns, you will not be able to do much about it -- you don't even know who they are! They could be anywhere in the country or, indeed, anywhere in the world.