What is Vishing?
Vishing, also known as voice phishing, is a form of cyberattack where fraudsters use voice communication to deceive individuals and extract sensitive information. This method involves phone calls or voice messages that impersonate trusted entities, such as banks, government agencies, or businesses, in order to trick victims into revealing personal or financial information. Vishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticated, making it crucial for individuals and organizations to be aware of this growing cybersecurity threat.
How Does It Work?
While vishing attacks can originate as an email or a telephone call, the strategy of each is basically the same. The recipient is directed to call a phone number they believe is affiliated with their financial institution or a company with whom they do business.
In a vishing attack, the phone number dialed belongs to the perpetrator's VoIP phone, which is programmed to recognize key strokes or phone tones. Typically, the recipient will hear a message asking them to enter their account number via the phone keypad to verify their identity.
A perpetrator can easily glean valuable numeric information via the telephone. Numbers are easier than letters to transmit when responding to a vishing attack. As a result, victims are likely to divulge the following:
- Social Security numbers
- Account numbers
- Personal identification numbers (PINs)
- Credit card numbers, expiration dates, and card security codes
- Birthdays
What To Do If You Are A Victim Of Vishing
If you think you are a victim of vishing, contact your financial institution immediately and notify them of the issue. Additionally, you should consider contacting the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) immediately at https://www.ic3.gov/complaint. The IC3 serves as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime.
The bottom line is that you should always consider and verify the source before divulging any personal information. Once you give information to a con artist, it is gone, and there is no way to get it back completely.
This information is provided by Digital Defense, Inc., NE PA Credit Union’s online security education partner. Read the full article: Vishing
Get more online security education at www.nepafcu.org/about/other-services.
