Mobile “vishing” Rivals E-mail “phishing” as Growing Cyber Threat
Posted on October 2, 2009
Filed under Security
First there were online “phishing” scams through fraudulent e-mail. Now there’s “vishing,” or voice phishing, which seeks to fool users into giving up personal information through their mobile phones. Some attackers purport to sell extended car warranties, others pretend to be from your credit union or credit card company. You’ll notice that the caller ID number will look legitimate.
Recently, I received a call where a recorded voice stated that this important call from my credit card company concerned lowering my interest rate, and I needed to immediately call a toll-free number. After ending the call, I realized that I’d been “vished.”
According to a CNET news article from May 19 of this year, criminals mask their true phone number with ID spoofing while using social engineering tricks to obtain account information or to sell consumers bogus products. Many times this call includes making the recipient feel there’s a problem with his/her account or offering a fantastic deal on expensive merchandise, much the same as a phishing e-mail does.
Protect Yourself Through Awareness
Whether it’s through e-mail or your mobile phone, phishing/vishing scams are a growing threat. However, awareness is one way we protect ourselves from cyber threats, identity theft and the other pesky pitfalls of our digital life.
Remember, if you receive a phone call or an e-mail requesting personal information or offering a fantastic deal that seems too good to be true, the easiest thing you can do to protect yourself is to:
Press the “End” button on your phone or delete the e-mail
WITHOUT RESPONDING.
Are You at Risk?
Want to know if you’re at risk? Take the Fraud Risk Test from, LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com, a consumer fraud education site jointly funded by the US Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. Here you can learn about the latest threats, types of fraud and victim stories.