Phishing as a popular method of committing cyberbullying: concept, criminological characteristics, foreign experience

The article examines issues arising from the development of information and communication technologies, which have generated new social relations requiring legal regulation. The pervasive adoption of the Internet enhances everyday comfort and safety but also creates opportunities for computer crime. The study’s purpose is to analyze phishing, one of the most dangerous and widespread cyber threats. To achieve this aim, the research employs historical, dialectical, comparative-legal, and formal-legal methods. The subject is phishing as a method of computer fraud perpetrated against individuals via email, text messages, phone calls, or other forms of digital communication. The commonly accepted definition of phishing is presented as a fraud method that obtains personal information and confidential data by deceiving the victim. Typical phishing variants are described. The paper also reviews measures used to counter this form of criminal activity in selected foreign jurisdictions. The authors conclude that cybercrime is global in scope and a serious challenge for many countries. Contributing factors include low public literacy in information technology, imperfect legislation regulating this sphere of social relations, and widespread access to digital resources. The conclusion proposes improving anti-phishing effectiveness through comprehensive measures: refining legislation, raising digital literacy, expanding international law-enforcement cooperation, and developing innovative security technologies.