Final answer:
Phishing scams are fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information by posing as a legitimate entity in emails or other communications. Job seekers and others should be cautious of these scams, which can lead to identity theft, and should be educated on how to recognize and avoid them.
Step-by-step explanation:
Spam is more accurately referred to as a form of unsolicited communication that's often sent in bulk, while the scenario described is generally known as a phishing scam. Phishing scams are malicious attempts by perpetrators to obtain sensitive personal and financial information by disguising themselves as trustworthy entities in electronic communication. A common example of this is an email that appears to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank or a company's IT department, asking recipients for their private information.
Phishing takes various forms. Sometimes, it may involve the classic scenario of an email from a displaced Nigerian prince offering a share in a large sum of money in exchange for assistance. More sophisticated phishing attempts involve hackers using more elaborate methods to break into websites or trick individuals into clicking on malicious links. Since job seekers are often in communication with unknown parties, they are particularly at risk for these types of scams and should be vigilant to avoid falling victim to identity theft, or so-called 'True-name Fraud'.
In order to educate and protect themselves, people take proactive measures. For instance, university staff members might receive regular fake phishing emails from their IT department as a training tool to become more critical of the communications they receive. It's important not to act on or forward such emails without verifying their legitimacy to prevent personal and organizational harm.