Who are the individuals that send emails requesting personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers?

The individuals who send emails requesting personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers are known as phishers. Phishing is a form of cybercrime where attackers send fraudulent messages, often disguised as trustworthy sources, to trick individuals into revealing sensitive data. The goal of these attackers is to obtain sensitive information that can be used for identity theft, financial fraud, or other malicious activities.

Phishing attacks commonly exploit social engineering tactics, creating a sense of urgency or fear that drives recipients to act quickly and provide their information without careful consideration. Recognizing the characteristics of phishing emails, such as poor grammar, generic greetings, and suspicious links, is an essential skill for individuals to protect themselves from these types of attacks.

In contrast, while scammers engage in a broader range of fraud, the specific act of impersonating trusted entities to gather personal information is defined more narrowly as phishing. Hackers, on the other hand, typically refer to individuals who exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and may not specifically focus on using email for deceptive practices. Spammers send unsolicited emails, generally for advertising purposes, which do not typically involve requests for sensitive personal information.