Things have just got ‘phishier’ on the Net.

Those scammers who have made our lives tough with email phishing have devised a new game. Called ‘voice phishing’, the technique is being used to dig out our details and committing various crimes online.

 

The scammers set up a fake call center using VoIP (Voice over IP).

They send email message claiming to come from a reputed company. But instead of giving a website link to click on, they send a phone number to call.

Once you call on that number, what you hear sounds like the company’s telephone queuing system. The unsuspecting user thinks it is the genuine company and gets easily deceived.

 

The recorded message you hear after dialing the number asks for details like your payment card information (numbers, expiry dates and the last three digits printed on the signature panel), PIN (Personal Identification Number) social insurance number, date of birth, bank account numbers and passport number.

Each one of these is valuable information for the phisher as it can give him the control of your financial accounts, help open new bank accounts, transfer bank balances, file loan applications, apply for credit cards and other goods/services, purchase luxury items, conceal criminal activities, receive government grants or secure a passport.

 

The email can be sent out as "image spam. This means the email carries an embedded image instead of actual words so your spam filter will not be able to catch it.

 

Voice phishing catches you unawares. The clever scammer has asked you to call on a number.

You are well acquainted with the names of your favourite online companies but there are bleak chances that you know their numbers as well.

 That’s where the scammer outsmarts you, making you call on the number and divulge your confidential account information.