A New Phishing Scam

Here’s a new twist on the familiar “phishing” Internet scam. Identity thieves are sending e-mail spam warning you that your bank account or PayPal account has been compromised. Nothing new so far. However, unlike typical phishing e-mails, there is no fake Web site address in the message. Instead you are asked to call a phone number to verify your account information. If called, an automated voice message says, “Welcome to account verification. Please type your 16-digit card number.” Don’t do it! You’ve just been vished! This new scheme uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone numbers that are available through Internet telephone providers like Skype. It’s fairly easy to get a VoIP number anonymously, which is not the case for normal telephone numbers.

Security experts say that as Internet users get wise to traditional phishing scams, this new phone-based tactic may reap a whole new set of victims. It’s not hard to avoid this scam. Never call a number provided in an e-mail regarding financial security issues. Instead, call the phone number provided on the back of your credit card or bank statement if you have security concerns. And remember, credit card companies normally refer to customers by their full names in any communications. If the e-mail does not refer to your full name, it’s probably a fake.