Social phishing

Several suspected Internet users, called pishers, post a friendly e-mail for other users, aiming at acquiring sensitive information from a victim fraudulently, by acting as a friend. A phisher fraudulently identifies himself as a large banking corporation, or popular online auction site, claiming to possess significant knowledge about the concerned fields. Gartner Group conducted a survey of a number of such Internet users, who were cheated by phishers. The survey revealed that about 19% of the victims had clicked on a link in a phishing e-mail message, while 3% admitted having given personal and financial information to these phishers. The phisher is able to gain the trust of victims, by obtaining information about their bidding history, or shopping preferences, their banking institutions, and their names.