Get Ready for a New Threat: Vishing

Tech-savvy criminals have thought of with a new way of scamming us out of our money. In a twist to “phishing” (when spoofed websites are used to trick users into surrendering passwords or credit card numbers), “vishing” is when phone calls using spoofed caller ID numbers hide the identity of the caller and trick people into surrendering sensitive information. Usually, vishing attacks play a recorded message that tells users to call a toll-free number, where they are asked via an automated attendant to punch in a credit card number or other personal information. Attacks are on the rise since with Voice over IP phone technology, caller ID spoofing is very easy to do.Protect yourself by registering your number with the National Do Not Call registry at donotcall.gov. Some criminals and unscrupulous telemarketers may ignore the list, and if you continue to get calls, it’s a tip that the offer is bogus. Contact the authorities immediately if you do get scammed, and always play it safe and don’t surrender your information to unknown sources.

Related articles:

• Can You Trust Your Caller ID?
• 123Spoof Makes Caller ID Spoofing Easy
• 9 Simple Ways to Protect Yourself against Internet fraud