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Written by: 10/28/2011 6:10 AM
Every time I see the word “vishing,” I cringe a little—because that name is ridiculous.
Clearly, phone + fishing should be phishing….but it’s been done. So instead, we get “vishing”, which equals “voice” plus “phishing.” But, name aside, “vishing” is a serious threat, when social engineers use voice over IP (VoIP) to get personal or financial information from unsuspecting individuals.
Just this week outside Seattle, a credit card-related vishing scam has the small community of Whidbey Island concerned. Social engineers set up an automatic call system that calls random residents, claiming to be Wells Fargo and asking for credit card numbers, pins, and even social security numbers.
While the average person would know better than to hand this sensitive information to another individual, the request feels different coming from an automated system—and social engineers know that this twist on the classic scam catches people off-guard.
Since people have become more wary of strangers asking for personal information, social engineers add legitimacy to an old technique by including a tech element. We are, after all, accustomed to automated messages and mass emails from our banks, retail establishments, and more. And frankly, we tend to do what robots tell us.
Even worse, since these scams seem to often originate outside the U.S., it is 1) almost impossible to catch the scammers and 2) almost impossible to help those who fall prey to the scam.
Rule of thumb: never give this information to anyone that is not 100% verifiable. Ever. Not in person. Not over the phone. Not over the Internet through a link in an email. Your bank will never ask you for this information, so don’t let the vishermen get to you!
Read more here: http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/132495903.html