spear phishing
a.k.a. spear-phishing
A form of phishing, "spear phishing" specifically refers to crimeware that fine tunes phishing attacks by correlating specific names and e-mail addresses about where a person banks or shops, and then customizes spoofed messages to trick individuals into clicking on a viral attachment or harmful Web link. Once that happens, the intruder can then take full control of the victim's PC.
If you suspect you have been phished, forward the e-mail to uce@ftc.gov or call the FTC help line, 1-877-FTC-HELP. Phishing is a variation on the word "fishing," with the idea that bait is thrown out in the hopes that while most will ignore it, some will be tempted into biting. Phishing can be a noun or a verb, while "a phish" or "a phisher" is the person doing the phishing.
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NetLingo Classification: Online Jargon
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