What is Vishing?

Vishing, a portmanteau of “voice” and “phishing,” represents a type of cyber attack that leverages voice and telephony technologies to deceive individuals or businesses into divulging sensitive information, thereby gaining unauthorized access. The critical data sought through vishing attacks encompasses personal information like credit card numbers, financial account information, or information pertinent to a business setting.

It distinguishes itself from phishing, which primarily relies on email communication, and vishing centers on voice-based communication. These attacks are arranged against both businesses and individuals, predominantly driven by the pursuit of financial gains. However, vishing attacks can also be motivated by alternative purposes, including political, competitive, or retaliatory activities.

Vishing v/s Phishing v/s Smising

Vishing, short for ”voice phishing,” involves fraudsters using intimidating phone calls and voicemail messages to persuade victims into giving personal information for financial gain.

Phishing, a broader category of cyber attacks, encompasses various methods, such as emails and text messages intended to deceive and steal from victims. Within phishing, two specific subtypes are smishing and Vishing.

Smishing, a combination of “SMS” (Short Message Service) and “phishing,” operates through text messages to illicitly obtain information and facilitate additional cyber crimes.

What is the main objective of a Vishing Attack?

The primary objective of a vishing attack is to acquire crucial information illicitly. This may encompass a range of sensitive data, including Personally Identifiable Information (PII), credit card numbers, login credentials, passwords, bank account details, or corporate credentials. In the event of a successful vishing attempt, threat actors gain unauthorized access to personal and professional services and other valuable assets associated with the targeted individual or organization.

How does a Vishing Attack Happen?

A vishing attack tends to happen by following these three steps: 

• Garner phone calls:  This happens through phishing methods or accessing confidential data from establishments where people provide their phone numbers, such as eateries or retail stores. Perpetrators may use software to dial multiple individuals with the same area code, aiming to confirm their number. In vishing attacks, the caller ID is fake, making the call appear to be from a local area code or a trusted entity like a bank or any government identity.
• Establishing Trust: Whether posing as a credit card company or a delivery service, the aim is to foster trust. This is often accompanied by an urgent appeal, like claiming an unauthorized user has used your credit card and urging immediate identity verification to stop charges. These urgent messages evoke panic in the potential victim, prompting them to respond without confirming the provided information.
• Acquire sensitive data for monetary purposes: In the event of a successful vishing attack, the perpetrators will leverage the obtained information for financial advantages. This may involve using stolen credit card details for transactions or applying for a new credit card. With the correct information, an attacker can steal your identity or deplete your bank account. By recognizing a vishing attack, you can safeguard yourself from financial losses. 

Common Types of Vishing Scams:

Vishing attacks exhibit a diverse range of phishing tactics. Some prevalent vishing scams involve:

1. Government Impersonation: 

In this type of attack, the scammer poses as a government agency representative, aiming to illicitly obtain user personal information or deceive the victim into transferring money.

2. Bank Account Update: 

A visher might pretend to be from a bank, claiming a problem with the customer\’s account. Then, they ask for personal information, pretending to verify the customer\’s identity.

3. Technical Support Deception: 

Scammers may pretend to be from big companies like Google, Facebook, or Microsoft. They claim to help fix the victim\’s computer, browser, or social media account but secretly install malware in the process.

4. IRS or Tax Fraud Vishing

IRS or tax fraud vishing is one of the most common types of vishing attacks where hackers impersonate government officials to put pressure of citizens to pay their unpaid bills. These scams are very common that target US citizens.

5. Prize or Sweepstakes Vishing

These scams arises during holiday seasons and target innocent users by luring them with a “prize” that often includes gift coupons, free holiday tickets and more. However, the scam takes place after the user gives them personal information, including bank numbers, or payment details to received the price.

How to Identify a Vishing Attack? 

 Urgency in tone: 

Recognize if there is a sense of frantic urgency in the callers’ tone. Scammers often try to create a fear or panic environment for reasons like legal trouble, bank account issues, or government-related reasons to get victims to comply. 

Asking for confidential data: 

This might seem obvious, but a sign of a vishing scam is if the caller is asking you to provide information like name, address, date of birth, bank account details, social security number, credit card numbers, and related to your financial information.  

Unexpected governmental agency: 

If any caller claims to be from Medicare, IRS, or Social Security Administration, but you have not contacted any agencies, this will most likely be a scam. 

Vishing cyber security and its Examples:

While Vishing is prevalent, you need more time to identify its occurrence. The following example shows how cybercriminals can easily persuade you to comply with their requests:

Government Representative:

Sometimes, a caller pretends to be from the government. They may need to check your personal info and account details. If you want to keep your tax refund or social security payment private, they might threaten to stop your tax refund or social security payment. Be careful not to give away important info to strangers over call. 

Tech Support Scam:

Keep an eye out for scammers posing as tech support, claiming to represent well-known companies like Microsoft, Amazon, or your local internet provider. They’ll claim unusual activity on your account and seek to verify your account details. The cybercriminal might also insist on a supposed security update, asking for your email address. Once you receive and install the software as instructed, it’s a trap—the installation unleashes malware on your computer. Stay cautious and avoid falling for such deceptive tactics.

Impersonating Your Bank:

Beware of a scam where a cybercriminal poses as a bank representative using a fake phone number and caller ID. They’ll claim suspicious activity on your account and request you to confirm your bank details and mailing address as proof of identity. Unfortunately, they use this information for identity theft. Stay vigilant and never share such sensitive details over the phone.

Telemarketing Trick:

Some scammers use a trick called Vishing to take advantage of our love for prizes. They might call and say you\’ve won something for free. Then, they\’ll ask for your private info, claiming it\’s needed to process your win and ensure you get your prize quickly. Be careful, and don\’t fall for it. 

FAQs About What is Vishing