{"id":845,"date":"2025-12-19T09:59:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T08:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=845"},"modified":"2026-06-09T08:32:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T06:32:20","slug":"scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Scams: What&#8217;s the Difference Between Phishing and Spoofing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cybercriminals use a variety of techniques to steal personal information, login credentials, and financial data. Two of the most common terms associated with online fraud are <strong>phishing<\/strong> and <strong>spoofing<\/strong>. Although they are often mentioned together, they are not the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding the difference can help you better recognize online threats and protect yourself from fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#What_Is_Phishing\" >What Is Phishing?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#Common_Phishing_Methods\" >Common Phishing Methods<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#What_Is_Spoofing\" >What Is Spoofing?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#Common_Types_of_Spoofing\" >Common Types of Spoofing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#The_Relationship_Between_Phishing_and_Spoofing\" >The Relationship Between Phishing and Spoofing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#Key_Differences\" >Key Differences<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#How_to_Protect_Yourself\" >How to Protect Yourself<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/scams-on-the-internet-what-is-the-difference-between-phishing-and-spoofing\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Phishing\"><\/span>What Is Phishing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-4221177955\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phishing is a social engineering attack designed to trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Passwords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Credit card details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Banking information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Personal data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attackers typically pretend to be trusted organizations such as banks, online stores, courier companies, social media platforms, or government institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal of phishing is to convince the victim to voluntarily provide information or perform an action that benefits the attacker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Phishing_Methods\"><\/span>Common Phishing Methods<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fraudulent Emails<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attackers send emails that appear to come from legitimate organizations. These messages often contain urgent requests such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reset your password<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify your account<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm a payment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update billing information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The message usually includes a link to a fake website designed to steal information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SMS Phishing (Smishing)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Victims receive text messages claiming to be from banks, delivery companies, or other trusted organizations. These messages often contain malicious links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fake Websites<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cybercriminals create websites that closely resemble legitimate services. Users unknowingly enter their credentials, which are then captured by the attackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Media Scams<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraudsters may use fake profiles or direct messages on social media platforms to gain trust and obtain sensitive information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Spoofing\"><\/span>What Is Spoofing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spoofing is the act of falsifying information to make a communication appear as if it came from a trusted source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike phishing, spoofing itself is not necessarily an attempt to steal information. It is a technique used to disguise the true origin of a message, phone call, website, or network connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_Types_of_Spoofing\"><\/span>Common Types of Spoofing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Email Spoofing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attackers forge the sender address of an email so it appears to come from a legitimate company or person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, an email may appear to come from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"mailto:support@company.com\">support@company.com<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"mailto:billing@bank.com\">billing@bank.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">even though it was sent by an attacker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Caller ID Spoofing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraudsters manipulate caller ID information so a phone call appears to originate from a trusted number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This technique is frequently used in telephone scams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Website Spoofing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attackers create websites that closely resemble legitimate websites to deceive visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IP Spoofing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Attackers falsify IP address information to disguise the origin of network traffic. This technique is commonly used in network attacks and security bypass attempts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Relationship_Between_Phishing_and_Spoofing\"><\/span>The Relationship Between Phishing and Spoofing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phishing and spoofing are closely related because many phishing attacks use spoofing techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An attacker sends an email that appears to come from a bank (email spoofing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The email contains a link to a fake banking website (website spoofing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The victim enters their login credentials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The attacker steals the information.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this case, spoofing helps make the phishing attack appear legitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Differences\"><\/span>Key Differences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Phishing<\/th><th>Spoofing<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Aims to steal information or manipulate users.<\/td><td>Aims to disguise the identity of the sender or source.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Relies heavily on social engineering.<\/td><td>Relies on technical impersonation techniques.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Targets human behavior and trust.<\/td><td>Targets communication systems and identifiers.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Often uses spoofing techniques.<\/td><td>May be used independently or as part of other attacks.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Protect_Yourself\"><\/span>How to Protect Yourself<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To reduce the risk of becoming a victim:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verify sender email addresses carefully.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not click suspicious links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid opening unexpected attachments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check website addresses before entering credentials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep your operating system and software updated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use reputable antivirus and anti-malware software.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be cautious with urgent requests involving payments or account verification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phishing and spoofing are different but closely connected cybercrime techniques. Phishing focuses on tricking victims into revealing sensitive information, while spoofing focuses on impersonating a trusted source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many modern attacks combine both methods to increase their effectiveness. Understanding how these scams work and remaining cautious online can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[10,42],"manual_kb_tag":[741,1665,743,1666,744,1667,746,1668,810,1669,811,1670,814,1671,1034,1672,1039,1673,1296,1674,207,1345,229,1480,562,1661,737,1662,738,1663,740,1664],"class_list":["post-845","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-safety","manualknowledgebasecat-miscellaneous","manual_kb_tag-ip-spoofing","manual_kb_tag-website-spoofing","manual_kb_tag-caller-id-spoofing","manual_kb_tag-fake-websites","manual_kb_tag-phishing","manual_kb_tag-phishing-techniques","manual_kb_tag-identity-theft","manual_kb_tag-spoofing-techniques","manual_kb_tag-phishing-attacks","manual_kb_tag-social-media-phishing","manual_kb_tag-phishing-prevention","manual_kb_tag-online-fraud","manual_kb_tag-smishing","manual_kb_tag-spoofing-prevention","manual_kb_tag-firewall","manual_kb_tag-fraud-prevention","manual_kb_tag-security-software","manual_kb_tag-security-awareness","manual_kb_tag-phishing-emails","manual_kb_tag-credential-theft","manual_kb_tag-phone","manual_kb_tag-online-security","manual_kb_tag-two-factor-authentication","manual_kb_tag-ip-addresses","manual_kb_tag-email","manual_kb_tag-phishing-vs-spoofing","manual_kb_tag-spoofing","manual_kb_tag-email-phishing","manual_kb_tag-cybersecurity","manual_kb_tag-sms-phishing","manual_kb_tag-email-spoofing","manual_kb_tag-vishing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4757,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/845\/revisions\/4757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=845"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}