Which statement best describes phishing and includes two common indicators?

Which statement best describes phishing and includes two common indicators?

• A. A legitimate request from your bank for a password update.
• B. A promotional email about discounts from a retailer with no links.
• C. A fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information; indicators include urgent/threatening language and suspicious sender or links.
• D. A diagnostic email from your IT department with verified sender address.

Answer: (B)

Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate entity. It often tries to trick you into revealing passwords, credit card numbers, or login details. The two common indicators are urgent or threatening language that pressures you to act quickly, and a sender or links that look suspicious or don’t match the real organization. The statement that best fits phishing describes it as a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information and explicitly mentions these two indicators, making it the most accurate description. The other options describe scenarios that are more likely legitimate or less risky (legitimate bank requests, a promo email with no links, or a diagnostic IT message from a verified sender), so they don’t capture the phishing behavior as accurately.

Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate entity. It often tries to trick you into revealing passwords, credit card numbers, or login details. The two common indicators are urgent or threatening language that pressures you to act quickly, and a sender or links that look suspicious or don’t match the real organization. The statement that best fits phishing describes it as a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information and explicitly mentions these two indicators, making it the most accurate description. The other options describe scenarios that are more likely legitimate or less risky (legitimate bank requests, a promo email with no links, or a diagnostic IT message from a verified sender), so they don’t capture the phishing behavior as accurately.