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Vishing Is Now a Common Tool for ID Thieves

Posted on Apr 9, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

According to an earlier blog of mine, vishing is an effective way to steal a victim’s identity.  Scammers can create any phone number to show up on caller ID, which creates a lot of new opportunities for identity theft.

For instance, one of my clients said she was called and was clearly telemarketed by the person on the phone.  She had added her phone number to the no-call list so she was surprised to get the call in the first place.  After she hung up she called the number on her caller ID to find out  which company was violating the rules.  It turns out that the  caller ID phone number was actually that of the no-call list.  The telemarketer disguised his phone number to appear as, of all numbers, the one to call to end telemarketing calls.

Other times victims have answered their phones because they see their bank’s name come up on caller ID.  They immediately trust that the person on the other end is from their bank and feel free to give personal information because, in their mind, they’ve confirmed it through caller ID.

According to information from Justin Pritchard on the About web site, Credit card fraud is another problem – the thieves will steal a credit card out of a victim’s mail box, then call the credit card company to activate it.  They input the credit card owners’ phone number so the phone call appears to come from the owner’s phone.  The credit card company verifies the phone numbers are the same and activates the card. 

Vishing is a new way for thieves to catch victims off guard, so be aware of it and don’t rely on caller ID.