Vishing — a combination of voice and phishing — is a cybercrime that uses phone scams to steal your personal information. Usually, these calls come from scammers posing as trusted companies, institutions or government agencies claiming your account information has been compromised and you will be penalized unless you take action.
Similar to phishing, vishing convinces victims they are doing the right thing by answering the caller’s questions and providing their information to fix their accounts. Cybercriminals use very convincing language and even threaten the victims at times, so they feel pressured to provide the requested information.
According to complaints reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), some of the most common vishing scams may include
- compromised bank accounts
- loan or investment offers
- Medicare issues during open enrollment
- Social Security threat to cancel benefits or
- a problem with your Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax return.
One way to avoid falling victim to these scams is knowing the IRS, Medicare and the Social Security Administration will not contact you unless you requested them to contact you first. Furthermore, their method of contact is through the mail, never through a call or text. Another way to avoid this situation is to visit the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov and register your phone number to remove it from unsolicited phone calls.
Finally, don’t pick up the phone. Let it go to voicemail instead. If you do answer, hang up if you suspect something is not right. Don’t press buttons or respond to automatic prompts, and verify the identity of the caller by researching the number online — if you think the call is legitimate.
If you have been a victim of a vishing attack, don’t panic. Call the compromised financial institutions or government agencies to advise them of potential fraud and block future charges. You could also freeze your credit report and file a complaint with the FTC or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Remember, if your instincts tell you something seems off or not right, it probably is!
