Phishing attacks are perpetrated by criminals who send deceptive emails in order to lure someone into visiting a fraudulent web site or downloading malicious software. Cyber criminals continue to evolve and refine their attack tactics to evade detection and use techniques that work. Phishing is not just a small-time operation, and billions of dollars are being made by criminals while consumers and businesses are left to suffer the consequences. There are gangs of phishers organized all over the world, and there is a business of phishing.
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2012/12/cyber-criminals-phishing-with-smart.html