The modern world of online scams has evolved a lot since the days of African princes and fake lotteries.
Dominating the online scam ecosystem are three big players: phishing, smishing, and vishing.
Wreaking havoc across the US, Arizonans have not been immune to these deceptive cyber threats. In the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crime Report, Arizona ranked the 4th worst state for cyber-attacks per capita.
So today, let’s learn what distinguishes these scams and how they may appear in real-life scenarios.
Why should Tusconans know about phishing, smishing, and vishing?
Before we dive into the differences between these cyber threats, you may be wondering why you should be concerned. Due to the evolving nature of these scams, you don’t even need to frequent the internet to be a victim anymore.
Only as far back as May 2022, the City of Tuscon announced a data breach that exposed the data of over 120,000 residents. The breach compromised names, Social Security Numbers, driver’s license numbers, and even passport numbers.
Heading into the future, Tusconans should become aware of the various scams that target them to keep their identity and finances secure.
Phishing, smishing, vishing: the differences
So let’s familiarize ourselves with these three cyber scams – spotting the difference is not only easy but essential in today’s online landscape.
Phishing
You’ve probably received plenty of spammy or downright scammy emails in your inbox. Maybe some have seemed so convincing that you accidentally clicked on them. Don’t worry – we’ve all been there!
Generally, these emails, and the websites they link to, are called phishing scams. As the name suggests, scammers attempt to “fish” for private data by deceiving the target. These scammers are on the hunt for sensitive data such as:
- Username, passwords, and other login credentials;
- Credit card and banking information;
- Any Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
After their data is stolen, victims often suffer from identity fraud, hacked accounts, financial loss, and in some cases, blackmail.
Scenario:
Todd receives an email from his bank regarding some overdraft fees. Fearing that someone stole his bank card, he follows the link in the email.
He enters his login details on the linked website, unaware that he’s just transmitted his banking data to cybercriminals via their fake phishing website.
Smishing
Some of the millennials in the audience are probably wondering: who even reads their emails anyway? A while ago, when smartphones became a constant companion in everyone’s lives, scammers redirected their focus.
Along came smishing, which is just old-school phishing but instead of emails, users are targeted via SMS. Like phishing, smishing victims receive deceptive text messages from “reputable” sources requesting data or malicious downloads.
And boy is smishing effective! Scammers have found that users generally trust their text messages much more than emails. In 2022 alone, the FTC reported $330 million in losses due to text message scams.
Scenario:
Emily hears a ding from her pocket. Compulsively, she checks who has just messaged her. To her surprise, an SMS reads that she’s just won a gift voucher for her favorite store. She submits her name, address, email, and date of birth to “verify” her identity. What she’s really doing is handing her PII to scammers.
Vishing
This newcomer on the block is making a name for itself as a fast-growing threat. Combining all the nasty aspects of phishing and smishing, vishing targets victims with deceptive voice messages.
These scams essentially work the same: pose as a reputable source asking for PII to steal accounts or payment information. Yet, what makes vishing a terrifying threat, is the addition of modern “deepfake” voice technology.
New AI-based apps can analyze voice recordings and then produce a convincing imitation of an individual’s voice. So you might get a voice message from someone who sounds like your son, but what you’re actually hearing is a sophisticated AI imitation.
Scenario:
Phil has just received a distressing voice message from his daughter, claiming to be stranded two states away with no money. He scrambles to send his credit card information to her so she can afford a flight home. Unfortunately, this voice message was manufactured by deepfake voice technology to scam him.
Securing yourself from modern cyber scams…
Whether these cyber threats appear as emails, texts, or voice messages, they all rely on one thing in particular: deception.
By becoming familiar with these scams and how they operate, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from identity and financial fraud.
Take it a step further and read more about how a VPN can prevent your private data from ever reaching the hands of cybercriminals.