Vishing (Phone Call) Scams

Vishing (Voice/Phone Call) – Vishing is a type of social engineering scam where cybercriminals use phone calls to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive information.

The goal of a vishing attack is to convince the victim to provide information that the attacker can use for financial gain. This can range from stealing money from a person's debit card, to stealing the victim's identity. 

How to recognise a vishing attack

• Unexpected calls claiming to be from your bank, credit card company or well-known company that you trust.
• The caller asks for your personal information (BEWARE - some attackers may already know information and use that to convince you to share what they don’t know.
• The caller uses threats of urgent problems with your account to make you act fast.
• The caller requests you to transfer money out of your account.
• The caller may verify 3 digits of your PIN and ask you to verify the rest.
• The caller may ask if you have made a transaction at a well-known store recently – this is the fraudster guessing this information to sound more believable.
• The caller claims that there have been transactions made to a foreign country from your account, and they need your information to 'stop any further transactions'.

Avoid and prevent vishing attacks

• Do not share information – no matter how believable the caller is.
• Keep calm when these phone calls occur, hang up and contact the official entity using phone number on their website to verify it is them.
• Let unknown numbers go to voicemail.

Ballyconnell Credit Union will NEVER

• Phone you asking for you to divulge any personal or financial information such as passwords, one-time-passcodes or online login details.
• Phone you asking you to transfer money out of your account to protect yourself from fraud.
• Phone you asking you to download any software so we can take control of your device, or to move your money to a "safe" account.

If you accidently share personal or financial details to someone over the phone and you are worried about their legitimacy, call us immediately on 049 9526571, or call the number on the back of your debit card.