Nearly one in five Americans has fallen victim to phone-based scams, resulting in $25.4 billion in losses in 2024^[1]. A vishing (short for voice phishing) scam exploits the natural tendency to trust voice communication, relying on convincing scenarios that pressure you to divulge sensitive financial information or make payments to criminals.

As vishing fraud cases become increasingly sophisticated with the rise of AI voice cloning and deepfakes, protecting yourself requires understanding how these scams operate and recognizing their warning signs. To help you avoid falling victim to a vishing scam, this article explores:

• What a voice phishing scam is
• The most common types of vishing scams to watch out for
• Practical steps to take if you’re affected
• Effective strategies to protect your financial information

What Is a Vishing Scam and How Does It Work?

Vishing is a type of payment fraud where scammers use fraudulent phone calls to trick you into revealing sensitive information or making unauthorized payments.

Vishing is often grouped under the same category of fraud as “phishing” and “smishing” due to its similar fraudulent nature. What differentiates the three is the primary channel involved—phishing relies on emails containing malicious links, while smishing involves SMS communications with urgent requests to click on harmful links.

Most vishing scam calls share the following key characteristics:

• Urgency—Callers often claim there’s a problem with your account, payment, or legal status that requires "immediate verification."
• Authority—Scammers spoof caller IDs to appear legitimate (e.g., "IRS" or "Bank Fraud Department").
• Targeting—Many vishing scams specifically target credit or debit card numbers, CVV codes, or bank account details.

Scammers who orchestrate vishing attacks often prepare beforehand by researching and gathering information from publicly available sources like social media or other illicit channels (such as data breaches). They then initiate contact through unsolicited phone calls, either by themselves, via automated robocalls, or even using AI voice cloning technology to replicate the voices of someone you know.

Common Vishing Fraud Examples To Be Aware Of

Some of the most prevalent forms of voice phishing scams include:

1. Fake bank/credit card alerts
2. IRS/tax collection threats
3. Tech support scams
4. Social Security/Medicare scams
5. Family member impersonation scams

Fake Bank/Credit Card Alerts

Scammers sometimes impersonate bank security departments or credit card companies, claiming they’ve detected suspicious activity on your account and that you need to immediately verify your identity to secure it.

By creating a sense of urgency, they pressure you into sharing sensitive information like login credentials, your full debit/credit card number, or one-time passwords, which they can exploit for other types of fraud, such as card-not-present (CNP) fraud or account takeover fraud.

IRS/Tax Collection Threats

This voice phishing scam begins with a caller posing as an IRS agent. They might claim you owe back taxes and could face consequences—including arrest, property seizure, or deportation—unless you make an immediate payment, usually via prepaid debit cards or wire transfers. They might also ask you for personal information, such as your Social Security or bank account number. 

Remember that official IRS communication is typically conducted through written correspondence. The agency won’t threaten immediate action or request instant payments via gift cards or wire transfers^[2]. The agents also won’t ask you to divulge your personal information.

Tech Support Scams

Fraudsters often pose as representatives from well-known tech companies like Microsoft or Apple. They might suggest they've detected viruses or performance issues on your device that require immediate attention and might lead to serious losses if not addressed quickly.

To convince you further, they might:

• Ask you to check harmless system files and potentially misrepresent them as evidence of infection
• Direct you to basic system utilities (like Windows Event Viewer) that display normal warnings
• Request remote access to your computer to "fix" the actually non-existent issue

Once they gain access, scammers could install malware, access sensitive information, or lock your files and request a ransom. Tech support scams often target individuals who are less tech-savvy, particularly older adults— they’re five times more likely to report losing money to these scams than younger people^[3].

Social Security/Medicare Scams

Someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration or Medicare might call you, informing you that your benefits could be at risk due to "suspicious activity" or "incomplete information." The scammer might suggest your Social Security number has been suspended due to criminal activity, or your Medicare benefits could be terminated unless you verify your information.

They typically spoof the SSA's 1-800 number and reference your real personal information (often obtained from data breaches) to enhance credibility. The scammer's goal is to have you “confirm” your Social Security or Medicare number, which they can use to create synthetic identities or commit other types of fraud.

Family Member Emergency Scams

Commonly called the "grandparent scam," this emotionally manipulative vishing scheme typically targets older, unsuspecting adults^[4]. Scammers will call and pose as distressed family members or someone calling on their behalf. They’ll create convincing scenarios suggesting your loved ones are in immediate danger, such as being arrested after a car accident or jailed in a foreign country, and demand urgent payment for medical bills, bail money, or legal fees.

The rise of AI voice cloning has made these scams exponentially more dangerous^[5]. Scammers can replicate a loved one’s voice using audio clips from social media or video calls. The authentic voice, paired with urgent scripts ("Grandma, it's me. I'm in trouble and need your help!"), makes the scam nearly indistinguishable from reality.

What To Do if You’ve Been a Victim of a Vishing Scam

If you suspect you’ve been targeted by a vishing scam, contacting your financial institutions should be your priority. You should immediately call your bank or credit card company to report the incident and potentially freeze your accounts or cards.

If the scammers use your card details to make unauthorized transactions, federal protections under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA)^[6] and Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA)^[7] apply—credit card users typically have 60 days to dispute charges with $50 maximum liability, while debit card protections depend on how quickly you report the fraud.

However, if you willingly “authorized” the payment, believing the scammer's story, recovery becomes more complex. This is because federal protections generally apply to unauthorized charges, and you might need to prove that you’ve been a victim of fraud. Similarly, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift card payments are particularly difficult to recover because of the weaker legal protections for these payment methods.

Besides reporting to your bank, you should also consider filing a complaint with the police or the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC shares data with law enforcement and provides recovery plans. Additionally, if you’ve accidentally revealed your private information to someone on the phone, you can report it to IdentityTheft.gov to prevent further damage to your accounts or credit score.

How To Prevent Vishing Fraud—4 Effective Measures

Because vishing occurs directly over the phone, you can’t rely on tools such as antimalware or password managers that might help you prevent other types of fraud. The best way to mitigate your exposure is to be more vigilant and take preventative measures by following these methods:

1. Recognize common vishing red flags
2. Verify the caller's identity independently
3. Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry
4. Use virtual cards to mask your financial information

Recognize Common Vishing Red Flags

Several common warning signs could indicate you're speaking with a scammer rather than a legitimate representative:

• Artificial urgency or pressure to act immediately
• Requests for personal information that the organization should already have
• Request for payments via unusual methods such as prepaid gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency
• Poor call quality or suspicious background noises like echoes, static, or multiple people talking, which may indicate a fraudulent call center operation
• Threats of severe consequences (arrest, account closure, service termination)

The caller's emotional approach may also signal a scam—legitimate representatives typically remain professional and patient, while scammers might become aggressive or manipulative when questioned.

Verify the Caller’s Identity Independently

One of the best ways to avoid a vishing scam is to simply hang up on the caller and call the official number of the institution or company that supposedly contacted you. It’s important to find this contact number on your bank card, account statement, official correspondence, or the organization's official website—not through a web search that could lead to spoofed sites.

When you call back, ask the company representative if they can confirm whether the previous call was legitimate. If they can’t verify the caller, you should block the number from which you received the call and report it to the authorities.

Sign Up for the Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry, operated by the FTC, might help reduce the volume of unwanted telemarketing or spam calls you receive. However, it won't stop criminals who intentionally violate telemarketing rules from calling you.

Registering your number is free and generally remains on the list permanently unless you change your number or specifically request removal. To register:

1. Visit DoNotCall.gov
2. Provide the phone number you wish to register
3. Complete the registration process through email verification

You can also add a number to the registry by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the number you wish to register^[8].

Use Virtual Cards To Hide Your Financial Information

Virtual cards are temporary 16-digit card numbers with unique CVVs and expiration dates that serve as a stand-in for your real bank account or credit/debit card.

When you use a virtual card for online purchases, the payee never sees your actual payment information. This means that even if a merchant experiences a data breach or if a scammer obtains your virtual card details through vishing attacks, your primary financial accounts remain protected.

Several major banks including Citi^® and American Express^® offer virtual card services, but these options are typically only available if you already have an established banking relationship with them.

If you’re seeking more comprehensive virtual card protection regardless of the bank you have an account with, choose a specialized virtual card provider like Privacy. With Privacy, you get more flexibility and additional security controls to manage your finances more effectively.

Privacy Virtual Cards—A Seamless Way To Secure Your Payment Information

Privacy lets you generate unique and reusable virtual cards after linking your debit card or checking account to it as a funding source. As a Better Business Bureau^® (BBB) accredited and PCI-DSS-compliant company, Privacy protects your information and accounts with the same robust security measures as major banks and credit unions, including:

• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Instant push notifications for every successful or declined payment
• Transport Layer Security (TLS) HSTS encryption protocol on all web traffic
• Regular third-party audits

Depending on your requirements, you can create three types of virtual cards using Privacy:

You can stop further charges to your Privacy Cards by pausing or closing them without affecting the linked funding source. You can also set spending limits on your virtual cards, and Privacy will block any charges exceeding your preset limit.

Convenience Features at Your Disposal

Besides the numerous customization features and card controls, Privacy also offers additional features to enhance your online shopping experience:

• Privacy App—Available for iOS and Android devices, the mobile app lets you create, manage, and monitor your virtual cards on the go. You can also modify spending limits or pause/close a card directly from your phone.
• Privacy Browser Extension—Privacy enhances your online shopping experience through extensions for most well-known browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Safari for iOS). The extension offers an autofill feature so you don’t need to enter your card details for each purchase manually.
• Integration with 1Password—This integration helps you store and manage your virtual card information along with your passwords within the 1Password browser extension.

How To Get Started With Privacy

If you’re a U.S. resident above the age of 18 with a checking account at a U.S. bank or credit union, you can get a Privacy Virtual Card by following these steps:

1. Sign up on the Privacy website
2. Verify your identity by providing your KYC details
3. Connect your funding source (debit card or bank account)
4. Request and generate your virtual card

You can choose from four monthly plans depending on the features and number of cards you require:

Resources

^[1] The Public Interest Network. https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/US-SpamScam-Report_2024_0307.pdf, sourced April 6, 2025

^[2] Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. https://www.tigta.gov/irs-scam-resources, sourced April 6, 2025

^[3] Federal Trade Commission. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/attachments/blog_posts/Older%20adults%20hardest%20hit%20by%20tech%20support%20scams/tech_support_spotlight_march2019.pdf, sourced April 6, 2025

^[4] Federal Communications Commission. https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated, sourced April 6, 2025

^[5] Federal Trade Commission. https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes, sourced April 6, 2025

^[6] Federal Reserve. https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/caletters/2008/0807/08-07_attachment.pdf, sourced April 6, 2025

^[7] U.S. Government Publishing Office. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-FT-PURL-LPS73998/pdf/GOVPUB-FT-PURL-LPS73998.pdf, sourced April 6, 2025

^[8] Federal Trade Commission. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/national-do-not-call-registry-faqs, sourced April 6, 2025

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