Beware of voice messages asking for personal information
You might have heard of "phishing" scams, in which identity thieves send emails claiming to be legitimate businesses asking consumers to verify or submit personal information. Now, thieves are increasingly turning to a scam called "vishing."
Vishing, short for "voice phishing," is when thieves seek personal information by telephone. A target might receive a voice message claiming that the customer's credit card and/or financial account has been breached. The target is instructed to call a customer service number, which leads to a fraudulent call center established by the thief. The thief will ask for confidential account and login information. The message might provide a fraudulent website instead of a phone number.
Identity thieves are eager to use personal information to open accounts, run up debt and ruin the victim's credit. Thieves might pretend to be from legitimate financial institutions, companies, or government agencies. They seek confidential information such as financial account and credit card numbers, Social Security Numbers, passwords and personal identification numbers.
Vishing is a convincing trick that uses scare tactics to pressure targets into giving up personal information. Because thieves use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to make the calls, they can even fool caller IDs and remain anonymous, making it very hard for authorities to trace them. Consumers should be very suspicious when receiving telephone or email messages directing them to provide personal information. Instead of calling the number provided, consumers should always contact their financial institution or credit card company directly to verify the message.
If you think you've been targeted in a vishing scam, please let us know. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Columbia Member Service at 360.891.4000. |
