Affordable Internet phones are inadvertently aiding cybercriminals in executing new types of theft. This is a form of online fraud known as phishing, but instead of sending emails as before, they directly call the victims.
According to Secure Computing, a security application company based in the United States, users will receive an automated message warning them about issues related to their bank accounts. This message instructs them to call a specific phone number to resolve the issue.
Upon calling, this number connects the caller to a fake support system that requires them to enter their 16-digit credit card code. Secure Computing refers to this new form of fraud as vishing, a variant of phishing.
Previously, cybercriminals would send emails containing phone numbers, luring victims into making calls to divulge their information. “People should avoid dialing numbers provided in emails and should only trust the phone numbers printed on the back of their cards or on official bank communications,” Secure Computing advises.
Finnish security firm F-Secure also reported that in the UK and Iceland, mobile text messages (SMS) have been exploited to trick people into accessing websites containing dangerous codes, potentially installing backdoor Trojans on users’ devices.
