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July 11, 2006
Just because you aren't paranoid
Doesn't mean they are not out to get you:
In the new scam, which Secure Computing calls "vishing," identity thieves ask potential victims to call a phone number attached to a VoIP account, easily obtained online through services such as Skype or through retailers reselling VoIP products such as Vonage Holdings, Henry said.In one vishing case, scammers targeted PayPal users by including a telephone number in a spam e-mail. In the other case, the criminals configured an automatic telephone dialer to dial phone numbers, and when the phone was answered, played an automated recording saying their credit card has had fraudulent activity.
The recording asked the telephone customer to call a number with a spoofed caller ID related to the credit card issuer, Secure Computing said. Once users call, they are asked for personal account information.
VoIP numbers are easy to obtain anonymously, but Henry didn't fault VoIP providers for vishing scams. A larger problem is the ease of obtaining credit online or over the telephone, he said.
Consumers are comfortable with obtaining credit online or by dialing automated telephone services to get credit, but if credit-granting businesses required physical contact, phishing and vishing scams would be almost eliminated, he added."In today's environment, it's absurd," Henry said.
Absurd? Cornerstone of our consumer driven economy? Same difference?
Posted by Mike at July 11, 2006 07:40 PM
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