Vishing
Voice phishing: a phone call or voicemail that pressures you into paying or sharing codes.
Vishing is voice phishing — a scam run over a phone call or voicemail instead of a written message. A caller claims to be from your bank's fraud team, a utility, the police or a well-known company, and works to rush you into moving money or reading out codes. The pressure is emotional and immediate: your account is under attack, a warrant is pending, a refund needs confirming.
Fraudsters routinely fake the number that shows on your screen so it matches the real one, and some stay on the line to intercept any callback. No legitimate bank will ask you to transfer funds to a 'safe account' or read out a one-time passcode — those requests are the scam itself. If a call feels wrong, hang up, wait a short while to be sure the line has cleared, then dial the number printed on your card. Our guide to bank-impersonation scams breaks down the scripts callers use and the exact phrases that should end the conversation.