Phishing attacks remain a leading and threatful type of cybercrime, taking advantage of both technological weaknesses and human elements to breach sensitive data and organizational resources. This review thoroughly explores the classification, lifecycle, and development of phishing attack methods, ranging from conventional email phishing to advanced multi-channel and AI-driven strategies. Essential stages of phishing, such as planning, exploitation, and post-attack actions, are examined along with current trends that involve social engineering and misuse of trusted technologies. Countermeasures, from technical solutions to behavioral strategies, are assessed for their efficacy against new threats. It includes, how to handle social engineering attacks and particular focus is directed towards the rising complexity of phishing schemes, the incorporation of artificial intelligence, and the need for comprehensive defense approaches. This document seeks to establish a thorough basis for grasping phishing attacks and guide upcoming investigations into prevention and user awareness in a swiftly changing threat environment. Moreover, this article covers the detection and mitigation of phishing attacks.