Phishing for the Answer: Recent Developments in Combating Phishing
Rasha AlMahroos · The Knowledge Bank (The Ohio State University) · 2007
This note discusses some legal implications of Phishing. First, it provides an introduction on Phishing and its variants. Then it discuss various efforts to combat Phishing, ranging from consumer education, private sector efforts, and law enforcement. Lastly, the article details recent legislative developments concerning Phishing at both the federal and state levels. Phishing, also known as brand spoofing, is one of the most rapidly growing scams and methods of identity theft on the Internet today. Although comprehensive statistics on Phishing are hard to find, recent data indicates that the incidence of Phishing is growing and has increasingly become a matter of concern in the United States and the rest of the world. The Anti-Phishing Working Group (“APWG”), a global pan-industrial and law enforcement association focused on eliminating the identity theft and fraud that results from Phishing, issues reports on worldwide Phishing activity trends. The APWG’s most recent report, published on November 2007, details an exponential growth in Phishing attacks. ∗ Rasha AlMahroos is a Juris Doctor candidate at The Ohio State University Moritz College of law. She obtained her Bachelors degree in Economics and Middle East Studies from the University of Virginia in August 2004. The author would like to thank Katy K. Liu, a 2007 graduate of the Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law. I/S: A JOURNAL OF LAW AND POLICY FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY 596 I/S: A JOURNAL OF LAW AND POLICY [Vol. 3:3