Since the late 1980s, the term “vishing” has been widely used. Vishing is just as common as the other forms of phishing; the only difference between this cyberattack and phishing itself is the way it’s written (“v” in place of “ph”).
Over the last several decades, vishing attacks have adversely affected many people and organizations. One research report found that 75% of scam victims claim that the perpetrators already had some confidential information about them, which they then used to get more information.
Moreover, vishers’ financial growth is dependent on the frequency of attacks. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has revealed that social engineering crimes, such as vishing, cost victims over $54 million in 2020 alone.
One of the more recent vishing cases targeted Spectrum Health System, which reported in September 2020 that patients were being called by unidentified people impersonating health workers.