Trend: "Vishing," VoIP phishing on the rise

A recent report from MessageLabs found that VoIP is fast becoming the platform of choice for cybercrooks engaging in phone and email scams. The latest scams make use of an automated voice message that warns the potential victim of possible fraudulent charges on his credit card. The message goes on to provide a toll-free number to call, and when the victim dials it, he is prompted to enter his credit card number, date of expiration and other information which the "vishers" then use to make fraudulent charges. What's more, vishers can easily manipulate the caller ID to make it appear that the call is coming from a legitimate bank. The report found that phishing (including "vishing") attacks increased 0.03 percent during the month of July.

You'd think these scams would not befall the presumably more tech-savvy VoIP user, but rather the old folks still using PSTN lines. However, VoIP makes it easier for the crooks since VoIP numbers can be set up and shut down within minutes. Therefore, it's almost impossible for law enforcement to track them. The phone systems required to set up the elaborate scams have also become cheaper recently.

For more on the MessageLabs report:
- see this press release