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Vishing is a voice phishing scam, also known as a phone-based phishing attack. The criminal will call the intended target and try to persuade them to take action, thereby scamming them out of money or access. The caller will make the request seem urgent and impersonate a financial institution, the IRS, or a utility company. Sometimes, they may purport that a family member needs bail money.
Some ways to protect yourself from a vishing attack:
- Check the caller ID to determine the origin of the call. It is a scam if the location is unusual for the purported caller or the number is blocked. However, scammers can sometimes spoof a number to appear to be from a legitimate organization. In that case…
- Tell the caller you will call them back. If the call is from your bank, hang up and call your bank yourself. Inform them about the call and determine if it was genuine.
- Be aware of the caller’s indication of urgency. If the action must be taken immediately, over the phone, be cautious. Scammers rely on creating a sense of urgency and exploiting the target’s emotions. Please take a moment to consider what they are asking you to do.
- Do not provide any personal information to the caller. NEVER provide your social security number, date of birth, bank account information, credit card number, etc.
- Contact the organization that has been impersonated and inform them about the scam. They will compile reports to see trends and alert their customers. Similarly, alert local law enforcement (call the non-emergency number) as well as notifying the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) (https://www.ic3.gov/).
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we can assess your existing IT security and collaborate with your team to enhance it. We can also provide a complete source of services. At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things. Contact us today or sign up for a free consultation.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things.