Released: July 25, 2006

Vishing: A new twist in identity theft

Source: ConsumerAffairs.com

It’s called “vishing,” and it’s similar to “phishing” scams that rely on email to steal consumer’s identities. Vishing uses Internet telephone calls.

Wary consumers now know better than to click on e-mail links from unknown senders, so “vishers” have dropped links in favor of phone numbers. Using spoofed e-mail headers and camouflaged Caller ID information to make requests appear legitimate, con artists have managed to fool customers of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, as well as PayPal members.

Victims report receiving either an e-mail that appeared to originate from their institution, or a phone call claiming that their account had experienced fraudulent activity and required immediate attention. When consumers called the supplied number, an automated system, much like legitimate customer service systems, instructed the unsuspecting victims to enter their account number in order to be connected to a customer service representative.

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