Our bank Central 1 will never contact our members directly via phone. If you receive a call claiming to be from Central 1, be cautious. Scammers may impersonate companies and people to extract personal information or commit fraud.
What to Do:
- Verify the Caller: Always verify the caller’s identity independently. Don’t rely solely on caller ID.
- Avoid Sharing Sensitive Information: Never provide personal or financial details over the phone unless you initiated the call.
- Spread Awareness: Educate your family and friends about vishing to prevent them from falling victim.
Vishing, short for “voice phishing,” is a phone-based cyberattack where cybercriminals exploit the phone as a tool for their attacks. During a vishing phone call, scammers pose as trustworthy or authoritative sources, attempting to trick victims into sharing personal information and financial details, such as bank account numbers and passwords. Here’s what you need to know about vishing:
- How Vishing Works:
- Data Collection: Vishers research and collect information about their victims to create a tailored attack.
- Voice Manipulation: They use voice cloning technology to imitate someone the victim knows.
- Fraudulent Calls: Vishers spoof their caller ID and call victims with a prepared voicemail for a callback.
- Vishing can target large groups using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology or specific individuals with a tailored approach.
- Common Types of Vishing Scams:
- Financial Institution Impersonation: Scammers pose as representatives from banks or financial institutions, claiming issues with accounts or recent payments.
- Government Impersonation: Vishers impersonate government or law enforcement agencies, using threatening language or offering refunds to extract personal information.
- Emergency and Grandparent Scam: Targeted at older adults, vishers pretend to be family members in urgent need, requesting money or sensitive information.
- Telemarketing and Retail Scams: Vishers pose as company representatives, offering services, special deals, or refunds to obtain personal or financial information.
- Protecting Yourself:
- Be cautious when receiving unexpected calls.
- Verify the caller’s identity independently (don’t rely solely on caller ID).
- Avoid sharing sensitive information over the phone unless you initiated the call.
- Educate family and friends about vishing to prevent them from falling victim.
Stay vigilant and spread awareness to protect yourself and others from vishing scams!
