Voice phishing is the use of bogus phone numbers to trick people into revealing confi dential information.

Phishing originally involved sending out emails that include links to bogus websites, where victims are asked to enter account details or other confidential information. Voice phishing (also known as vishing, v-phishing or phone phishing) asks the victim to call a phone number, rather than visit a website, but the intention is the same: to steal details for financial gain.

An example is the PayPal voice phishing email. The email appears to come from PayPal, the electronic payment service, and claims that the user’s account may have been used fraudulently. It warns that the account will be suspended unless the user calls a phone number to “verify their details. When the user calls, an automated message asks for their card number. Criminals can then misuse the number for their own gain.

Users may be wary of following links in unexpected email, and they can ensure that they enter the correct web address when they visit a financial services site. They are less likely to know the company’s phone number, though.

To protect against phone phishing, you should use anti-spam software, which can detect phishing mails, and always treat unsolicited email cautiously.