{"id":94534,"date":"2019-03-12T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=94534"},"modified":"2025-05-26T15:48:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T22:48:00","slug":"voice-phishing-tricks-unsuspecting-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/voice-phishing-tricks-unsuspecting-users\/","title":{"rendered":"You Rang? New Voice Phishing Attack Tricks Unsuspecting Users"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"In this digital day and age, the average user is likely familiar with the techniques and avenues cybercriminals use to get ahold of personal data and money. With this knowledge, we\u2019ve become smarter and keen to the tricks of the cybercrime trade. However, cybercriminals have become smarter<\/a> too, and therefore their attacks have become more complex. Take phishing, for example. There has been a dramatic shift in phishing attacks, from simple and general to complex and personalized. What was once spoofing emails or websites has now evolved into something more devious \u2013 vishing, or voice phishing. This method involves a cybercriminal attempting to gain access to a victim\u2019s personal or financial information by pretending to be a financial institution via phone call. And now a new vishing attack is proving to be more difficult to detect than the typical phishing scams.<\/p>\n

In April 2018, Min-Chang Jang, a manager at Korea Financial Security Institute and Korea University, made a breakthrough in his investigation into malicious apps designed to intercept calls<\/a> to users from legitimate numbers. This tactic puts a new but troubling twist on the original voice phishing cyberattack. To be successful in this venture, a hacker must first convince a user to download a fake app. To do this, a link is sent to the victim, luring them in with an amazing offer around loan refinancing or something similar, which then prompts the user to download the faulty app. If the target takes the bait, calls will start to come in from the financial institution following up on the possible loan refinancing offer. The call, however, isn\u2019t connected to the actual financial company, rather it is intercepted and connected to the bad actor.<\/p>\n

Proactive Steps to Improve Security<\/h2>\n

We know that as we adjust to the world around us and become smarter about our security, cybercriminals will do the same with their thievery. Today it\u2019s an advanced vishing attack, tomorrow it could be a different type of phishing vector. However, users can rest assured that companies like McAfee are working tirelessly to ensure our users can thwart any cyberattack that comes their way. While this voice phishing attack is hard to detect, here are some proactive steps you can take to ensure you don\u2019t fall victim to cybercriminals\u2019 schemes:<\/p>\n