How to Protect yourself from Vishing Attacks with the Total Security
No matter how strong your password or a security mechanism you have in place, hackers and scammers are well aware that there is one such vulnerability that they can always peep into and i.e. YOU, no one else! Yes, Total security is important, but do you know that any loophole can leave you in distress and snatch away all the peace you have in your life?
Vishing is a short word for “Voice Phishing” and is a type of Social Engineering attack that involves defrauding people by demanding sensitive information over voice calls. With this process, the hacker or the attacker attempts to take complete hold of the victim’s data for malicious purposes, most importantly to gain financial advantage. In this type of attack, the attacker takes the route of psychological manipulation and calls the victim with the only intent of stealing personal information.
How Vishing Works?
Vishing attackers often use caller ID spoofing to trick victims into believing that the phone call is from an authorized source such as a reputable business or a known neighbor. For example, an attacker may pretend to be from IRS pretending to be calling you regarding the payment of unpaid taxes. The fear of paying unpaid taxes and being arrested can cause victims to do whatever the attacker wants.
Well, Vishing & Phishing sounds the same. So, are you intrigued to know what’s the difference between the two?
What is the difference between Vishing & Phishing when it comes to Antivirus?
While both are social engineering attacks that use the same tactics, however, the main line of difference lies in the fact the medium used in performing these attacks. As mentioned above, the process of vishing involves a phone. In this, the attacker either calls the victim or persuades the victim to call them.
Phishers, on the other hand, use the electronic form of communication to plan attacks. Email is the most common form of a phishing attack, attackers can also use text messages as a medium to perform the attacks.
What are the most common types of Vishing Attacks?
- Compromised Bank Account or Credit Card Account
In this case, the Visher can get the bank account details, so that they can easily gain an access to the victim’s account. With the information of bank info & victim’s account numbers, making it is easy for the attackers to withdraw or transfer funds.
- Social Security Scams or Mediclaims offer
Woefully, many attackers keep their eyes on people who are sick and old. All they do is take advantage of their condition so that they can easily steal their sensitive data and share it with third parties for malicious purposes. This is the reason why you need to install Total Security to stay protected.
- IRS Tax Scam
IRS Tax Scam is popular these days. IRS stands for Internal Revenue Service Tax. The attacker takes advantage of the fact that the person might get afraid that they may be put behind bars in case they don’t pay the tax, and this is where the attacker takes advantage and steals all the sensitive information.
- Loan or Investment Offers
Vishers can catch victims by offering them a golden opportunity to make an investment online or take a personal loan for the future. And, these types of transactions include sensitive information, in some way or the other. The attacker convinces the victim by telling them that the offer is legitimate, the victim has no issue sharing sensitive information.
How to identify a Vishing attack?
- Vishers create a sense of emergency
In this case, the attacker either creates a sense of urgency or applies pressure on the victim. Well, these offers might include a sensitive thing or those that may provide a solution to the serious problem that the victim is facing.
- The caller asks you for information
You might receive a call and the caller might ask you to provide your sensitive information. Well, it’s always better to have Antivirus Software and always better to say “NO” in case any third person asks you for your information.
- The caller claims to convey social security scam or IRS
There exist many organizations that people often tend to trust and keeping in mind this scenario, the attacker might ask you for your information. The attacker may portray himself as an IRS agent, or a social security agent and might obtain information from you. So, having Total Security is a must if you want to stay protected from these malicious tactics.
What Steps you can Follow to Make your Business safe from Vishing Attacks?
Vishing is a growing cybercrime that is terrorizing people all across the world. Here’re 6 things you can do to say goodbye to Vishing attacks, start with installing the best antivirus in India.
- Do not share your card details over a phone call
This is a very common technique that hackers use to get a hold of your sensitive details. A phone call is the simplest way to play with human emotions and take undue advantage of the same. You must be aware of the fact that your bank or any other financial institution will never ask you for sensitive information. No matter the case, the main intention is to steal your money, either ask for the advance amount or the full amount for the item before buying or selling.
- Never share your Passport credentials
All the hacking techniques made by hackers revolve around stealing your money as well as your identity. This has become a serious issue all over the world. People who are searching for employment generally get targeted by this scam. Scammers first go through people’s profiles on various social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc.
Once they make the list ready, they call you and give you a fancy job offer with an unbelievable package. Now, they will call you and ask for information such as name, passport number, driver’s license, Aadhar card number, etc to proceed further with the job offer.
- Sign up for the “Do not call Registry”
Do not call registry is the easiest way to avoid unwanted calls. It is made for you so that you don’t have to block phone calls. It’s always better to opt for this option if you want to stay away from unknown calls.
- Don’t attend calls from an unknown person
Blocking phone numbers will protect you from scammers but not always as the scammer might contact you with other numbers to steal your identity. Well, the best way to avoid them is to install the Best Antivirus Software and never answer unknown calls. When you see a call from an unknown person, it’s always better to disconnect the call if you want to stay protected from scammers.
- Block Robocalls
Some scammers might use technologies to do their job of calling and stealing information. As soon as you respond to that call, they start chatting with you online and start a conversation with you, which looks so real. Therefore, when you receive such calls, try blocking the number immediately with a few clicks.
- Don’t fall victim to sugarcoated words
A person forgets everything when they receive some sugarcoated words from the other end such as:
- You’re a lucky customer
- You won a Free Trip to Goa
- You won a reward of 200000 INR, and a lot more.
Well, it’s always better not to trust these types of calls, as they may be malicious. After all, no one is going to give you any reward without any reason. Avoid the such type of call if you hear something sweet. Don’t fall for sweet words, as they might give you bitter results!
- Don’t enter the contests
People love to play games and become a part of contests when they are asked to get paid for the same. These contests don’t seem real as you will not receive any kind of money in case you win. When you start playing the game or the contest, scammers leak your data from your phone and steal your money from the bank.
If you enter any contest, you will lose all your money rather than get any reward. So, avoid such kinds of calls by denying & blocking them.
Vishing Protection with Total Security – The Best Antivirus in India
Vishing attacks are on the rise and scammers are found in every corner of the globe. Total Security provides advanced firewall protection that prevents attacks by diverting only good traffic to your applications.
Even the best way to stop vishing attacks from succeeding is to be careful about the information you share over the phone. This is where the best Antivirus Software comes into play!
Install the Best Antivirus in India Now and stay protected for a lifetime.