I suppose you already know what Phishing is. But have you heard of vishing? Vishing is Voice Phishing.

You receive an e-mail or get a prerecorded voice message (supposedly from your bank, or PayPal, or some other financial institution) informing you that a large transaction—one you never performed—has been held up. The message includes a toll-free telephone number that you should call right away to deal with the situation.

When you dial the number, a voice menu prompts you to key in your card number before it transfers you to a company representative. The vishers ask you to enter other data as well, such as the expiration date and/or the CVV number printed on the back of your card. If you act without thinking clearly, you might provide all of the information they ask for. At this point, they have what they want from you and they may just hang up on you or put you on hold indefinitely.

So beware of Phishing and Vishing. If you get a fishy call or e-mail, don’t call the number provided in an unsolicited e-mail or voicemail message to follow up on a mystery purchase; instead, dial the bank’s number printed on the back of your card. Report vishing attempts to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.