Prevent Vishing: 8 Strategies You Need

Vishing, or "voice phishing," is a type of scam where attackers use phone calls to manipulate individuals into sharing sensitive information like passwords, bank details, or corporate credentials.In 2023, 68.4 million Americans (26%) reported losing money to phone scams, up from 23% the previous year. Using advanced techniques and impersonation tactics, vishing attacks are becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect.

Understanding these threats and knowing how to respond is critical for safeguarding personal and business data. This blog post guides you through 8 common vishing examples and offers actionable strategies to prevent them.

Example 1: AI-Based Vishing

Sophisticated AI technology is a game-changer in the world of cyber scams. Fraudsters can replicate voices with alarming accuracy, making their impersonation attempts highly convincing. Such advanced techniques can easily trick employees into making costly mistakes.

How AI Enhances Vishing Attacks

AI technology enables attackers to convincingly mimic voices, making their impersonation tactics highly effective. For example, fraudsters may replicate the voice of a company CEO to trick employees into transferring money.

How to Combat AI-Based Vishing

Combatting AI-based vishing requires a proactive and multi-layered approach to detect and prevent these advanced threats. Consider these key strategies to protect your organization:

• Train employees to verify requests through multiple communication channels.
• Incorporate Security Awareness Training to help teams recognize these sophisticated scams.

Example 2: Robocalls

Robocalls are a common tool for scammers, using pre-recorded messages to target individuals en masse. These calls often create urgency, pushing victims into making hasty decisions. Learning how to spot and avoid them is essential.

Characteristics of Robocall Attacks

Robocalls use pre-recorded messages to impersonate trusted institutions, such as banks, government agencies, or service providers. These messages often create a sense of urgency, warning of fraudulent activity, missed payments, or other critical issues. This pressure compels victims to act quickly, increasing the likelihood of divulging sensitive information or making payments without proper verification.

Recognizing and Avoiding Robocalls

Avoiding robocalls starts with vigilance and proactive measures. Here’s how to protect yourself and your organization:

• Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers to minimize exposure to potential scams.
• Let unfamiliar calls go to voicemail and review the message for legitimacy before responding.
• Use the Phishing Simulator to train employees on recognizing robocall tactics and responding appropriately. Simulations provide hands-on experience to strengthen awareness and defenses.

Example 3: VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

VoIP technology is a double-edged sword. While it facilitates cost-effective communication, it also allows fraudsters to hide their identities. VoIP scams are harder to trace, making them a preferred choice for attackers.

The Dual Nature of VoIP Technology

VoIP is a cost-effective communication tool that offers flexibility and advanced features like call routing. However, it also provides anonymity for attackers, enabling them to mask their identities and spoof numbers. This makes fraudulent calls harder to trace and increases the risk of exploitation.

Protection Against VoIP Scams

Defending against VoIP scams requires vigilance and robust protocols. Here are key strategies to minimize risks:

• Verify caller identities through secure channels like corporate email, direct messaging, or other trusted methods before sharing sensitive information. Avoid relying solely on the information provided during the call.
• Enforce strict communication protocols by establishing clear guidelines for how sensitive data is requested and shared. Require multi-step verification processes for high-stakes transactions or access requests.
• Regularly educate employees about the risks associated with VoIP and provide training on identifying suspicious calls.

Example 4: Caller ID Spoofing

Caller ID spoofing adds a layer of deception to vishing attacks. Fraudsters make their number appear legitimate to trick victims into answering. Verifying requests is the key to avoiding these scams.

What is Caller ID Spoofing?

Attackers manipulate caller IDs to appear as trusted contacts, making it difficult to distinguish legitimate calls from fraudulent ones.

Strategies to Prevent Falling Victim

To protect against caller ID spoofing, it’s essential to combine technology with cautious communication practices. Here are two effective strategies to minimize the risk of falling victim:

• Use tools or apps that detect and block spoofed numbers to reduce exposure to fraudulent calls.
• Always double-check suspicious requests through an alternative communication method, such as email or in-person confirmation, before taking action.

Example 5: Dumpster Diving

Dumpster diving may seem low-tech, but it’s surprisingly effective for scammers. By collecting discarded information, attackers can build a convincing story for their vishing schemes. Secure disposal practices are crucial.

Using Discarded Information for Vishing

Scammers often sift through discarded documents, such as bank statements, invoices, or employee records, to gather sensitive information. This practice, known as dumpster diving, provides them with personal or organizational data they can exploit for identity theft or fraudulent calls. Even seemingly insignificant details, like account numbers or signatures, can be pieced together to create convincing scams.

Preventative Measures

Preventing vishing from discarded information requires secure disposal practices:

• Shred documents containing sensitive information to make them unusable.
• Educate employees on proper disposal methods and the importance of protecting confidential materials.
• Use locked bins or secure shredding services for added protection.

Example 6: Tech Support Call Scams

Tech support scams prey on confusion and urgency. Fraudsters pose as IT professionals, convincing victims to share credentials or download harmful software. Being informed is the best defense.

How Tech Support Scams Operate

Scammers impersonate IT support, claiming there is an urgent issue that demands immediate action, such as fixing a security vulnerability or preventing system downtime. They often use fear tactics to pressure victims into sharing credentials, installing malware, or granting remote access to systems. These scams exploit trust and the lack of technical knowledge to infiltrate networks or steal sensitive data.

Educating Employees to Recognize Tech Support Scams

Preventing tech support scams starts with awareness and training:

• Teach employees that legitimate tech support will never request sensitive information, such as passwords or account details, over the phone or via unsolicited communication.
• Reinforce awareness through regular Security Awareness Training, ensuring employees are equipped to identify red flags and verify the legitimacy of support requests.
• Encourage a "pause and verify" approach, where employees confirm urgent requests through official channels before taking action.

Example 7: Voicemail Scams

Voicemail scams often begin with a fake email notification. Once the victim clicks a malicious link, malware is installed. Awareness and vigilance are critical in preventing these attacks.

The Trick Behind Voicemail Scam Emails

Fraudsters often send fake voicemail notifications designed to appear as legitimate messages from trusted sources. These emails typically contain malicious links or attachments. When clicked, the links may lead to malware installation or phishing sites that harvest sensitive information. By mimicking official formats or using urgent language, scammers trick victims into acting quickly without verifying the email's authenticity.

How to Identify Suspicious Emails

Spotting suspicious emails requires vigilance and training. Key strategies include:

• Train employees to recognize phishing indicators, such as poor grammar, generic greetings, unfamiliar domains, or mismatched branding in email content.
• Encourage caution with urgent or unexpected emails, especially those containing links or attachments.
• Provide regular Security Awareness Training to strengthen employees' ability to identify scams and respond appropriately, reducing the risk of breaches.

Example 8: Client Call Scam

Client call scams use insider information to make fraudulent payment requests. Attackers impersonate vendors or customers, exploiting trust for financial gain. Vigilant payment protocols can stop these attempts.

Exploiting Invoice Details for Vishing

Attackers often exploit invoice details obtained through phishing, data breaches, or even discarded documents to impersonate clients or vendors. They use this information to craft convincing payment requests, complete with accurate details like account numbers or due dates. This deception tricks victims into making unauthorized payments, often before the fraud is detected.

Strengthening Payment Protocols

Robust payment protocols are essential to prevent fraud from such schemes:

• Implement a two-person verification process for all financial transactions, ensuring that multiple parties confirm the legitimacy of requests before proceeding.
• Confirm payment requests through trusted, verified channels, such as direct phone calls or internal communication systems, to validate their authenticity.
• Regularly train employees to recognize suspicious payment requests and report them promptly.

General Strategies to Combat Vishing

Effectively combating vishing requires a combination of awareness, technology, and proactive measures. Organizations must focus on educating employees, implementing robust verification processes, and using tools to monitor and prevent suspicious activities. By staying informed about evolving tactics, businesses can build resilience against vishing threats and reduce human risk factors.

The Role of User Education

Education is a cornerstone of vishing prevention. Regular training helps employees stay alert to evolving attack methods.

Running Vishing Simulations

Simulations like Vishing Simulations provide practical, hands-on experience in identifying and handling vishing attempts. These exercises reveal potential vulnerabilities and strengthen organizational defenses.

Keepnet Human Risk Management Platform

Preventing vishing requires a layered approach, combining employee education, strict communication protocols, and the right tools. Solutions like the Keepnet Human Risk Management Platform offer comprehensive support to identify, mitigate, and respond to vishing attempts effectively.

This platform provides a centralized hub for monitoring human risk factors, empowering organizations to track vulnerabilities and implement targeted training. Tools such as the Keepnet Phishing Simulator and Vishing Simulation help employees build practical, hands-on skills to recognize and stop vishing attempts.

By integrating these solutions into your cybersecurity strategy, you can bolster organizational resilience, reduce risks, and create a culture of vigilance against social engineering attacks.