Understanding phishing threats is vital

In an increasingly digital society, a single careless click can cost an individual their savings, identity and peace of mind.

- BY SHREYA SINHA

Phishing scams - fraudulent messages designed to impersonate banks, companies, or trusted individuals are rising sharply across emails, text messages, and social media platforms.Despite frequent warnings, many users continue to fall victim, often because they are told what is dangerous but not why. Most internet users have encountered alerts such as "Suspicious link detected" or "This message may be unsafe." While these warnings are meant to protect users, they rarely explain the underlying risk.

As a result, people may ignore the alert, assume it is a technical error, or proceed out of urgency. This gap between detection and understanding has become a critical weakness in the fight against online fraud. Phishing is a form of cybercrime in which attackers trick users into revealing sensitive information, including passwords, onetime passwords (OTPs) and banking details.