VoIP Users Beware
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Users of VoIP have benefited from low-cost or sometimes free long distance calls over the Internet. But what those same users may not know is that they are also susceptible to the same security risks as e-mail and the Internet.
VoIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol, uses the same network as regular Web traffic. Organizations providing this service have cropped up over recent years. Some of these organizations are partly to blame because they allow scam artists to disguise themselves as someone else when making a call.
This “caller ID spoofing” is the latest tool in what has historically been used in e-mail phishing scams. I can just imagine what a call like this might sound like:
“Hello Mr. Jones. I’m with ACME Bank. Due to a server crash, I’m calling our customers to verify their logon information with our database backup system. Would you mind giving me your logon information so that I can ensure things are in order?“
Yikes!
This technique of falsifying one’s identity is often used by debt collectors.
Looking at this from another perspective — yours — these scammers could make it look as though they’re calling from your home to places like your bank or Western Union, a company that requires a call be made from your household before money can be transferred. Despite their focused efforts on security, Western Union and organizations like them, have no way to counter such methods, at least not yet.
So my advice to you, whether or not you use VoIP, is don’t give out personal information over the phone unless you have confirmed that you have the proper number to the organization in question and make the call yourself. Same goes for e-mails. It’s way too easy these days to appear like someone else, so be cautious.
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Comments
If i may ask, what blog software are you running? how much does it cost? and where can i get a copy? if you dont mind me asking.
@Voipman
I don’t mind at all, and thanks for commenting!
This is a WordPress blog. It’s free and easy to install and maintain. If you have access to your server, all you need to do is upload the files and run the installation script.
Thanks for pointing this out because we have recently switched to VOIP in our office completely replacing traditional phone lines. Indeed, cost was the biggest attraction.