21 Oct VISHING: WHEN PHISHING SCAMS COME OVER THE TELEPHONE

Phishing is one of the most known cyber threats, as explained here, which does not only come via email: today, there is also voice phishing, which is referred to as vishing.

Different channels, same objectives: cybercriminals aim to trick victims into divulging financial information, such as their internet banking access credentials or their credit cards’ security codes. A vishing call’s fraudulent nature is not always easy to detect.

Vishers often gain victims’ trust by showing that they know some of their banking or credit card information and pretending to be calling from a bank or another reputable company or organization they are a customer of: all sorts of information cybercriminals illegally obtain by violating websites’ security systems.

How to avoid vishing attacks?

-Always beware of unsolicited telephone calls where you are asked to share any confidential data.

-Take the caller’s number and name, and advise them that you will call them back.

-Take your time and look up the organisation’s information to double-check their identity and contact their official phone number.

-Remember that vishers can activate fake or spoofed numbers, with fake customer service operators answering in a credible professional manner.

-Never share any personal information when receiving a call from an automated system. Cybercriminals often use automated voice systems to place calls to phone users and obtain their confidential data.

-Fraudsters can find your information online, even on social media platforms. Never assume a call is genuine just because the operator mentions some of your personal details.

-Never share your internet banking access credentials or your credit/debit cards’ security codes over the phone.

-Never transfer money on someone’s phone request without verifying the requests’ authenticity first.

-Report unsolicited calls to your bank or service provider to help identifying and preventing frauds.

-If you think you received a vishing call, take note of as many details as possible and report it to your local cybercrime Police unit.

Conclusions

Even when a caller seems genuine, always be cautions over the phone.

Always beware of confidential information requests, such as your home banking access credentials and your credit/debit card security codes.

Neither your bank nor MyBank will ever ask for their customers’ or users’ personal information over the telephone.