Which action is characterized by inducing internet users to surrender sensitive financial information?

The action that involves inducing internet users to surrender sensitive financial information is accurately identified as phishing. Phishing is a type of cybercrime where attackers disguise themselves as trustworthy entities in electronic communications, often by using fake emails or websites that resemble legitimate ones. The goal is to trick individuals into providing personal data such as credit card numbers, usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information.

This method often utilizes social engineering tactics, where the attacker creates a sense of urgency or fear, convincing users to act quickly without critically evaluating the legitimacy of the request. Awareness of phishing practices is crucial in today’s digital landscape to help individuals protect their personal and financial information from theft and fraud.

In contrast, data mining involves collecting and analyzing large sets of data to discover patterns or insights, but it does not inherently involve deception to gain sensitive information. Encryption refers to the process of converting information into a secure format to prevent unauthorized access, while hacking generally refers to gaining unauthorized access to systems or networks, which may not necessarily involve the direct solicitation of sensitive information from users.