Vishing is the new pishing
As the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) reports, more and more pishing attacks are taking place via the telephone. So-called vishing is carried out via a telephone call in which the fraudsters try to obtain passwords. It is less common than the attacks via SMS or email, because the effort for the criminals is much greater than with written attacks. But if they use people who know the respective language, the chances of success are greater. This is because it is possible for them to induce the persons called to react quickly and rashly.
To protect oneself from such attacks, the NCSC recommends:
- Do not forward any passwords or codes you receive by text message, WhatsApp or other media under any circumstances.
- As a general rule, be careful if someone phones you and pressures you to perform an action. Say that you are busy and end the telephone conversation immediately.
- Never hand over passwords or credit card details over the phone, in response to an email or messaging service or via a website.
- Install two-factor authentication whenever possible. This offers an additional layer of protection to prevent your account from being hacked.
- Bear in mind that caller IDs can easily be spoofed.