What Is Vishing?
Hang up and use a known number to check a suspicious call.
Free video lesson · 1:09
What Is Vishing?
Phishing Awareness for Beginners
Music: “Thinking Music” by Kevin MacLeod. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Hang up and use a known number to check a suspicious call.
Read the video transcript
Vishing is phishing over a voice call. A caller pretends to be someone trusted and asks you to do something unsafe. A confident voice does not prove who is speaking.
Imagine a caller claiming to be from your bank. They say your money is in danger and you must move it to a safe account. The supposed solution is the scam.
The name or number on your screen may look familiar. Caller information can be faked. You cannot use that display alone to prove that the call really came from your bank.
Hang up. Find the bank’s number on your card or in its official app. Start a new call yourself and ask about the warning. Do not use a number the stranger gives you.
Keep passwords and one-time login codes to yourself. Do not move money because an unexpected caller demands it. Ending the call is a sensible way to check a serious claim, not bad manners.
For another clear example, watch Can You Trust an Email Sender Name? Then try How Do You Check a Payment Change Request?
The short answer
Vishing is phishing over a voice call. A caller pretends to be someone trusted and asks you to do something unsafe. A confident voice does not prove who is speaking.
A simple example
Imagine a caller claiming to be from your bank. They say your money is in danger and you must move it to a safe account. The supposed solution is the scam.
The name or number on your screen may look familiar. Caller information can be faked. You cannot use that display alone to prove that the call really came from your bank.
Hang up. Find the bank’s number on your card or in its official app. Start a new call yourself and ask about the warning. Do not use a number the stranger gives you.
Keep passwords and one-time login codes to yourself. Do not move money because an unexpected caller demands it. Ending the call is a sensible way to check a serious claim, not bad manners.
Put it into practice
- End an unexpected call that asks for money, passwords or sign-in codes.
- Find a trusted contact number yourself, such as the one in the official app.
- Start a new call and check the claim before taking action.
Check your understanding
The caller knows your name and the screen shows a familiar number. Is that enough to move money?
Answer
No. Personal details can be known and caller information can be faked. Verify independently before doing anything.
Explore next
Follow the free video course one question at a time. Teams can practise these habits through security training. For the cryptography protecting your systems, explore a cryptography audit.
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