Phishing, vishing and smishing: avoid cybercrime!
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2025 3:37 am
Digitalisation, the rise of e-commerce and new technologies have given rise to computer threats classified as cybercrime. According to the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), cybercrime is one of the fastest growing transnational crimes facing countries.
Greater reliance on the internet has created more risks and vulnerabilities and opened up different possibilities for criminal activities. Among these new cybercrimes are phishing, vishing and smishing . Knowing what they are is vital to avoid falling victim to one of them.
Phishing, vishing and smishing
What is phishing?
Phishing is the theft of data through identity theft . It is one of the most common methods used by cybercriminals to obtain confidential information from their victims.
The scammer or phisher pretends to be a third-party company or person through an 'official' electronic communication, such as an email, social networks, SMS... Normally, when it is done by email, the student data email includes a link that, when clicked, redirects to a fake website. For example, if you receive an email from your bank asking you to verify a series of personal details by clicking on a certain link, be suspicious! Banks never ask our customers to reveal sensitive information , such as card details or access codes, in this way.
What about smishing?
Smishing is a variant of phishing. The term is a combination of the words SMS and fishing. In this case, the scam takes place through SMS messages , in which data is requested or the user is asked to call a certain telephone number or access a website.
The goal of smishing is to get the user to perform the action the scammer wants in order to steal their data , such as personal passwords or information about their bank cards. And they do this through irresistible offers or prizes and alerts. For example, “We have seen that you are having problems accessing your account. Reset your password at the following link” or “Congratulations, you are one step away from receiving your gift. Call XXXX to confirm your details.”
What is vishing?
Vishing is another version of phishing, even more sophisticated. The term comes from the union of the words voice and phishing. It involves the use of the Voice over IP Protocol (VoIP) and social engineering techniques to steal data.
Greater reliance on the internet has created more risks and vulnerabilities and opened up different possibilities for criminal activities. Among these new cybercrimes are phishing, vishing and smishing . Knowing what they are is vital to avoid falling victim to one of them.
Phishing, vishing and smishing
What is phishing?
Phishing is the theft of data through identity theft . It is one of the most common methods used by cybercriminals to obtain confidential information from their victims.
The scammer or phisher pretends to be a third-party company or person through an 'official' electronic communication, such as an email, social networks, SMS... Normally, when it is done by email, the student data email includes a link that, when clicked, redirects to a fake website. For example, if you receive an email from your bank asking you to verify a series of personal details by clicking on a certain link, be suspicious! Banks never ask our customers to reveal sensitive information , such as card details or access codes, in this way.
What about smishing?
Smishing is a variant of phishing. The term is a combination of the words SMS and fishing. In this case, the scam takes place through SMS messages , in which data is requested or the user is asked to call a certain telephone number or access a website.
The goal of smishing is to get the user to perform the action the scammer wants in order to steal their data , such as personal passwords or information about their bank cards. And they do this through irresistible offers or prizes and alerts. For example, “We have seen that you are having problems accessing your account. Reset your password at the following link” or “Congratulations, you are one step away from receiving your gift. Call XXXX to confirm your details.”
What is vishing?
Vishing is another version of phishing, even more sophisticated. The term comes from the union of the words voice and phishing. It involves the use of the Voice over IP Protocol (VoIP) and social engineering techniques to steal data.