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Glossary

Vishing

Vishing: Vishing is phishing by phone call: a caller impersonates a bank, government agency or family member to get money or account access.

Updated February 1, 2027

An example

A call from "your bank's fraud department" asks you to read back a code that was just texted to you.

Why it matters to you

Caller ID can be faked, and AI can clone voices. The only verification is hanging up and calling back on a number you already have.

Where to go next

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See also

  • Phishing

    Phishing is a fake email, text or website designed to look like a company you trust so that you will enter a password, card number or personal details.

  • Smishing

    Smishing is phishing by text message: a text that pretends to be a toll agency, delivery company or bank and links to a fake page that collects your details.

  • Voice cloning

    Voice cloning is the use of AI to reproduce a specific person's voice from a short audio sample, so that a scam call can sound like a family member.