 TITLE: How to Avoid Phishing Scams CONTENT: What Exactly Is Phishing?\n-------------------------\nPhishing is an attempt to get recipients to divulge sensitive information such as usernames, passwords or Social Security numbers, or to transfer money to the scammer through a variety of methods.\nUsually, this is done through email, but phishing via text message is becoming more common. The global cybersecurity organization APWG detected more than 600,000 unique phishing websites in the fourth quarter of 2020.\nChances are good that at least once a day, a phishing email lands in your work or personal inbox: 57% of corporate information security professionals polled by ProofPoint in its 2020 State of the Phish report said their organization experienced a successful phishing attack in 2020.\nIt's worth keeping an eye out for these scams year round, but you may see certain scams pick up around certain times of the year. For example, phishing for tax information is common at the beginning of the year, and phishing targeted at shoppers ramps up around the holidays when a lot of people are buying gifts. END