Vishing (voice-phishing), is a growing phishing tactic used by scammers to boost their campaigns’ ROI. Hybrid vishing attacks, which start with contact-related emails but then continue with voice calls – imitating banks etc. increased by 652% from Q1 to Q2 2022, according to PhishLabs.
Police in Ukraine and Czechia have arrested a multimillion-dollar fraud gang that used voice phishing techniques to impersonate bank staff and defraud victims. Europol claims the group may have made tens of millions of euros by defrauding victims across the region, with the cost to Czech victims alone estimated at €8m ($9m). Ten suspects were arrested in April, and homes, vehicles, and call centres in Czechia and Ukraine were searched by local investigators supported by Europol. Mobile phones, SIM cards, and computer equipment were seized during the operation. The fraud gang targeted mainly banking customers in Czechia, impersonating bank employees and police officers. The scammers persuaded victims to transfer funds to „safe” accounts controlled by the group. A joint investigation team was set up in June by Eurojust and Czechia and Ukrainian authorities.
UK carrier EE blocked one million scam phone calls daily using AI technology to detect potential attacks.