Are You Ready for Vishing?
Identity thieves have outdone themselves once again. They are now using a
method called “vishing”, voice phishing, which allows thieves to call victims
and pose as an account verification representative. During the call, the victim
will be prompted to enter their card number. In other cases, the thieves may
already have the card number and may ask the victim to verify their three-digit
security code on the back of the card.
Some steps to take to protect
yourself from identity theft:
- Never call a number you receive from a spam email, and certainly don’t enter
in any private information. Obtain the phone number from a statement or other
correspondence.
- Never click on the link provided in an e-mail you believe is fraudulent.
- Do not open an attachment to an unsolicited e-mail unless you have verified
the source.
- Do not be intimidated by an e-mail or caller who suggests dire consequences
if you do not immediately provide or verify information.
- Visit the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) website,
www.onguardonline.gov. Consumers can
take interactive quizzes designed to enlighten them about identity theft,
phishing, spam and online-shopping scams.
For more information on identity theft, check out Preventing ID Theft page.
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