Vishing, the new Phishing

[zeitghost]

wtf?

Attempt at humour?

[DimPrawn]

wtf?

[Helios]

I got a call from the police the other day, asking what happened, the night I crashed my car into a bank.

I told them I was trying to drive into the safe, in bad weather. I asked how they knew it was me.

They told me to cover up my registration details when using a cash machine in future, to avoid the risk of fraud.

[Lucifer Box]

I get them to "call me back" on my 0871 number. May as well get your own nose in the fraud trough.

[VectraMan]

I got a call from Barclaycard fraud department the other day, and they left a message with a number for me to call them back. I did, and the first thing they asked me was for my card number, which I refused to give them. I did tell them my name and postcode and age on my next birthday, which was worrying. But after all that they had the details of my recent transactions, so I'm pretty sure it was genuine. But it does bring up the question of how you're meant to distinguish the real thing from a cold call like this. And as you say their approach is all about them identifying you, and nothing that allows you to identify them.

I guess you should never give any details if they call you (and don't call them back on the number they leave), but find out the number yourself and call them back.

[DimPrawn]

http://software.silicon.com/malware/...9160220,00.htm

Cheaply available voice over IP numbers and net calling are helping crooks launch new data-thieving scams, a security company has warned.

In a twist on phishing, fraudsters are now calling their intended victims instead of emailing them. The caller hears an automated message that warns of a problem with a bank account, Secure Computing, a maker of security appliances, said in a statement on Monday.

The message includes instructions to call a phone number to resolve the issues. That number connects the caller to a voice response system asking the consumer to enter their 16-digit credit card number, Secure Computing said.

The fraudsters are likely to be using stolen identities to set up a voice-response system and acquire local VoIP phone numbers, according to Secure Computing, which dubbed the new way of scamming "vishing".

Phishers have already been sending out emails that attempt to trick people into sharing personal information over the phone, instead of via a website, the traditional scam.

Cyber crooks are also using mobile phones as a way to bait victims. In Iceland and the UK, SMS text messages were used to lure people to a malicious website that installed a backdoor, according to F-Secure, a Finnish antivirus company.

Criminals are better organised and moving to more sophisticated tactics to get their hands on confidential data and turn PCs of unwitting users into bots, or compromised PCs commandeered by remote attackers, law enforcement officials said recently.

Phishing is one of the most common threats. In May, just over 20,000 phishing websites - a new record - were reported to the Anti-Phishing Working Group.

Paul Henry, vice president of strategic accounts for Secure Computing, said in the statement about vishing: "Consumers need to be extra-vigilant when giving out their information on the phone. Common sense is the first line of protection."


Only the other day I got a call from a credit card company I use. They opened the conversation by demanding my DOB, mother maiden name, full address to verify my identity. **** off I said, you phoned me, how do I know you are who you say you are? They were dumbfounded I might question who this caller was asking for sensitive information on a cold call?

*******.