FC0-U71 Security Practice Question
A user receives an email that appears to be from their bank, asking them to click a link and verify their account. The email contains urgent language and a generic greeting. Which type of security threat is this?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering attack where attackers send deceptive emails to steal credentials. The generic greeting and urgent language are common signs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Smishing
Why it's wrong here
Smishing is delivered by SMS text message, whereas this threat arrived by email. It is tempting because both are phishing variants using urgent language, but smishing would be correct only if the fraudulent link had been sent to the user's mobile phone number.
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Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing is tailored to a specific named individual using researched personal details; this email uses a generic greeting and mass wording. Spear phishing would be correct had the message addressed the recipient by name with role-specific content.
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Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing is voice phishing conducted over a telephone call, not email. It is tempting because vishing also impersonates banks and pressures victims, but it would be correct only if the attacker had phoned the user rather than sent an email.
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Phishing
Why this is correct
Phishing is the correct classification because the email impersonates the bank and uses urgency plus a generic greeting to trick the recipient into clicking a link and surrendering credentials. This social-engineering mechanism, delivering a fraudulent lure by email, directly matches the scenario's described threat rather than malware or physical intrusion.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the FC0-U71 exam.