Phishing is a form of internet fraud that attacks the most fragile thing we have – our trust. And while it may seem like a distant threat from a cyberpunk movie, the reality is much closer. Let’s talk about what phishing is, how to spot it, why spear phishing is even more insidious, and what you can do about it – not just technically, but legally.
Imagine you receive an email from your bank. It looks exactly the same as all the previous ones: logo, colors, style. It says you must log into online banking immediately or your account will be blocked. In a panic, you click, enter your login details and then just watch the money disappear. Welcome to the world of phishing.
The word phishing (read “phishing”) is a combination of the words “fishing” and “phreaking” (slang for phone hacking tricks). And that’s exactly the point – the attacker sets the bait and waits to see who will take the bait. The bait takes the form of an email, an SMS, a phone call or even a social media message. But it always has one goal: to lure sensitive information from you, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, birth dates or passwords, or access to company systems.
Phishing is a digital scam, but the real consequences tend to be very tangible, and can result in company wallets being picked and confidential company data being leaked.
Phishing is creative. It changes forms, but the target is always the same. Here are the most common ones:
All of these methods have one thing in common – the more realistic the scam, the more likely the victim is to believe it and click on the malicious link or share sensitive information.
Have you been a victim of phishing? Or do you want to better secure your business against cyber attacks? Contact our law firm. We can help you recover damages and defend against data misuse.
If we think of phishing as catching fish in a pond, then spear phishing is a precision speargun strike. It’s a targeted attack on a specific person or business. The attacker finds out details about you in advance (name, position, names of colleagues, recent events) and creates a very personal message that feels more credible than regular spam.
For example, a typical spear phishing looks like this: “Hello David, could you please approve this payment for me urgently as we spoke on the phone? I’m out of the office right now, but the invoice is attached. Thank you. Peter”
Yes, that’s the Peter from the accountant who actually called you yesterday. Only the e-mail isn’t from him.
Spear phishing is simply a dangerously plausible lie. It often targets employees, managers, lawyers or accountants. A single click can cause millions in damage.
Phishing has one dangerously effective weapon – it looks credible. Attackers make sure their message doesn’t surprise or offend you. On the contrary, it’s designed to get you to react quickly, without thinking. And that’s exactly when we make mistakes. Fortunately, even the most sophisticated phishing attacks have weaknesses that you can spot with a little care. Just watch carefully.
One of the most common tricks is to create an impression of urgency. If an email tells you that you must “respond immediately,” “verify your account or it will be blocked,” or that “one last chance remains,” watch out. Creating panic is a proven trick to get the victim to act impulsively.
Another red flag is a suspicious sender. Emails purporting to be from your bank that come from addresses like bankacz123@gmail.com are immediately suspicious. Reputable institutions only communicate from official domains. Banks simply do not send email from freemail.
Also,links in phishing messages often do not lead to where they promise. Just hover over them (don’t click!) – if you see www.vas3banka-login.ru or another dubious domain instead of www.vasebanka.cz, it is most likely a scam.
Phishing messages often suffer from grammatical errors. You will come across choppy sentences, strange turns of phrase or literal translations from foreign languages. Emails from large companies tend to be carefully crafted in terms of language, so strange wording is a clear warning.
Attachments also deserve special attention. Did you receive an email with an invoice you didn’t request? Or a document from a supposed colleague that does not correspond to your job description? Never open attachments from unknown or suspicious sources, as they often contain malware.
And what if you’re not sure? Try to verify the information from another source. If you receive a strange email from a “bank”, call the official hotline or visit the nearest branch. Remember, no bank ever asks for your login details by email. If it does, it’s almost certainly phishing.
Tip: Want to meet? Then beware of scam dating sites with fake accounts and moderators whose job is to keep you on the dating site as long as possible to get money from you.
Phishing is definitely not just a nuisance – it is a criminal offence. Under Czech law, it can be, for example:
Phishing can also have legal implications for employment relations. If an employee’s own mistake allows damage to occur (e.g. by failing to verify a payment or opening a malicious file), the employer may try to recover part of the damage from the employee. However, the Labour Code protects the employee with a limit: unless he acted intentionally, he is liable up to a maximum of 4.5 times the average wage. The company should therefore invest in training and prevention rather than hope to recover damages.
Have you discovered that you have been a victim of phishing? Did you click on a fraudulent link, fill in your login details or even submit your card number? Don’t panic, but act fast. Every minute counts, and the sooner you start dealing with the situation, the better your chances of minimising the damage.
Contact your bank first. Immediately. Call the customer service line, explain the situation, and ask to block your accounts, cards or online banking access. Banks are prepared for scenarios like this and can often prevent damage if you warn them early.
Step two? The police. Phishing is a criminal offense, and while you may be telling yourself there’s nothing they can do about it anyway, filing a criminal complaint makes sense. Not only are you protecting yourself, but other potential victims as well. If the attack involved a large group of people, the police can connect the dots.
Then it’s time to collect evidence. Save anything that can help – the email from which the message came, a suspicious link, printscreens of communications or browser history. The more information you have, the better you can track down the perpetrator or at least describe the course of the attack. Believe me, this will be appreciated not only by the police, but also by lawyers if you decide to defend yourself in court.
If someone has misused your identity (for example, sending messages to colleagues or business partners on behalf of your email address), you have the right to defend yourself. An attorney can help you not only with legal representation, but also with recovering damages or filing a lawsuit if there has been a specific financial leak.
Remember that it is not just individuals who can fall victim to phishing. Businesses can also be at significant risk. If an attacker misuses your company brand and sends out fake messages on your behalf, it can damage client trust and your reputation. In this case, it is important to take legal action, inform customers and do your best to make it clear that this is a scam beyond your control.
Tip: Online shopping affects almost everyone today. However, this trend has also brought an increase in risky and fraudulent e-shops. How to spot one? Find out in our article.
Phishing cannot be eradicated, but you can defend against it quite effectively. Just follow these points:
And most importantly – trust your intuition. If anything doesn’t feel right, don’t click. Phishing is not about being stupid. It’s about trust. This modern scam relies not on technical tricks, but on human trust and curiosity. It doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it means you’ve fallen for an elaborate lie.
Phishing is a dangerous form of internet fraud that exploits human trust to lure sensitive data such as login details or credit card numbers. The most common forms include email phishing, smishing (via SMS), vishing (phone phishing) and social media attacks, with spear phishing targeting specific individuals using personalised messages. Common features include an urgent tone, suspicious email addresses, strange links, grammatical errors and unsolicited attachments. Legally, phishing is punishable as a criminal offence (e.g. fraud or unauthorised access to a system). If you become a victim, it is crucial to contact your bank and the police as soon as possible.
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Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 10 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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