Mobile Devices-Vishing, Smishing Vulnerability

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Mobile Devices-Vishing and Smishing Vulnerability

By Vickie J. Scanlon

Your mobile device is more or less your 24-hour companion. It allows you to connect with anyone at anytime, if they are available. However, your 24-hour companion, with it's available mobile-enhanced shopping and banking sites, makes you, the mobile user, vulnerable to smishing and vishing threats.

Before you can protect yourself, you'll need to understand what these two terms mean, and how it can make your cell phone vulnerable, and your personal data available to hackers.

What is Smishing

Smishing is where the mobile phone user will receive a text message. This text message only purpose is to get the user to click on the link. If you click on the link, you may inadvertently be downloading a Trojan horse, virus, or other malicious malware. Here is an example of a smishing scam through the use of your cell phone.

We're confirming that you have signed up for a dating service. You will be charged $2 a day unless you decide to cancel your service. (Then they supply the link for you to click).

Some people, afraid that they will be charged for the service, will click on the link. Once they arrive at the website, the victim will be asked to download a program, which is in truth a virus, malware or a Trojan horse.

What is Vishing

Vishing is what many refer to as "voice phishing". As you know, with phishing an email is used to get the user to click on a link that leads them to a bogus website. This is how vishing differs.

The scammer will send an email or voice message to a user, asking the user to make a phone call to a specific number. If the user makes the call, it will trigger a voice response system asking the user for their card number or other personal or financial information. Here is an example of a typical vishing scheme.

The voicemail may state that they are from your bank and they would like you to contact them immediately because there is a problem with your card or account. You are then given a toll-free number to call. When you do call, it connects to you a system that will ask you for your account number, PIN or other personal information.

If the visher get the information from you, he or she will use that information to create duplicate credit cards, or an ATM card to drain your account(s).

What makes this technique effective? By using Voiceover IP (VoIP), caller IDs can be spoofed (Caller-Id spoofing is where the scammer can make a call appear to come from any phone number that he or she wishes). Moreover, the scammer's entire operation can be brought up or dismantled quickly, to avoid detection.

How To Protecting Yourself from Smishers and Vishers

1) Don't respond to a text message or voice mail from someone your do not know.

2) Do not download anything from blocked or unsolicited emails. Delete.

3) Don't click on links or attachments within unsolicited emails because they can have a virus or Trojan horse that can be stored on your phone to gather your personal information.

4) If you have a text message from a merchant or financial institution, use your stored URL that you usually use to connect to their website. Do not click or paste the link they give you, the website could be bogus.

5) Never download an app from a link in a text message. Check out apps before downloading them (virus check).

6) Some providers allow users to forward questionable texts to them so they can be investigated. Check with your provider to see if they offer this service.

7) If there is a problem either through your bank or with a creditor, the phone number should connect you to a live person. If the said bank or creditor ask you for your account number, decline. If it is truly your bank or creditor they will give you another number to call to verify that the call is truly originating from the bank. (Don't be afraid to say no.)

8) Know what security software is used by your provider to address phishing, viruses and malware.

Since mobile devices are becoming more the standard method of communication, it is important that you are ever vigilant with protecting your cell phone or mobile device from hackers who are after your personal data.