Vishing

Last updated on April 19, 2022

Here we go again – a new scam designed to swindle you.

For any cyber-chain, the weakest link can easily be exploited through social engineering techniques such as vishing.

“Vishing attack” is virtually impossible for anyone to detect because there is no way to tell which party is on the other line.

Recently, we have been hearing this term a lot more often – as a result, there has been an increase in the number of people asking, “What is vishing” and how it can be prevented.

Let me begin by answering the first question.

What is a vishing attack?

Vishing is a way of referring to a scam that uses “voice phishing”. The purpose of a vishing attack is to coerce victims into handing over their personal or financial information such as bank account details and passwords via a phone call.

Phishing via voice appears to be a classic scam, which sometimes involves technologies such as automated voice simulations.

The term vishing refers to the act of submitting a fraudulent message, consisting of messages sent through multiple channels, including emails, text messages, phone calls, and instant messaging.

Remember – Not all voice phishing attack scenarios are negative plus vishing attack depends on several factors. It can also be news that you potentially won gifts money, trips, etc.

Whenever users provide the information they’re asked for, an attacker may exploit it to gain access to your account.

Vishing attack examples

Fraudulent schemes such as vishing scams are very common, and the examples listed below illustrate the ease with which cybercriminals can trick victims into acting.

Government Representative

Most scammers use this one, where the calling party claims to be an official from the government for purposes of verifying a person’s identity and other personal details.

During this call, the caller threatens to cease tax refunds and social security benefits unless the victim provides the necessary information the caller needs in order to verify the account.

Bank Employee

Under the guise of a fake phone number and caller identification, a cybercriminal impersonates the victim’s bank.

The caller claims that the victim’s account has been subject to some sort of unusual activity and requests his or her bank account information, along with their email address, to verify their identity.

Cybercriminals then use this information to steal identities.

Telemarketing Attack

Prizes are always in demand, so cybercriminals use this as an opportunity to lure unwitting victims into disclosing private information.

It is claimed that the information is required in order to process the free prize to make sure the victim receives it by the deadline.

Tech Support Fraud

In this type of attack, the person claims to be a tech support representative from a business, such as Amazon or Microsoft, or perhaps one of the area’s wireless providers. Suspicious activity has been noticed on the victim’s account and they wanted to double-check their account information.

It is possible for cybercriminals to request the victim’s email address in order to send the victim a software update intended to protect the victim’s machine from cyber thieves, but in reality, malware is installed on the victim’s computer.

How to prevent vishing attacks

In order to avoid vishing attacks, security awareness training is a must – And be sure to follow the guidelines below:

• Never answer unknown calls. Listen carefully to the voicemail you receive after letting the call go to voicemail.
• In the event you receive an unknown call, don’t provide personal information, your place of employment, or your home address.
• Your personal information should never be shared or confirmed over the phone. Don’t forget that banks, hospitals, police departments, or any government department won’t ever ask for personally sensitive information.
• Whenever the caller describes something free or something for sale, you need to ask questions. Verify their identity by requesting proof.
• Never reveal your phone numbers in response to an email or social media message asking for it.