According to Cisco’s annual cyber security report, cyber criminals attempt to obtain trustworthy data from unsuspecting Internet users every second with the help of approximately 3,000 manipulated sender addresses.

What is phishing used for?

A phishing attack usually starts with an email asking you to reveal confidential data. A phishing email may make an enticing offer or demand immediate action.

In most cases, you will receive a link that leads to a fake website where you can enter confidential data, such as:

• Access data from your e-banking
• Credit card data
• Passwords
• PIN codes
• Security codes
• Access data to online auction providers

How does phishing work?

This is how you unmask phishing e-mails:

To avoid becoming a victim of phishing, look out for these typical characteristics:

How to act correctly:

• Do not open any listed links in the mail
• Do not call the telephone number given in the mail
• If you are unsure, contact the company using the method you are already familiar with

Did you enter your data by mistake?

Don’t worry – something like this can happen.
Here’s how to react correctly in such a situation:

You can find more information on the topic of “phishing” in our accompanying handout.