Vishing
✓ Last verified 14 Sep 2026
The short version
Vishing is phishing conducted over a phone call rather than email or SMS - a scammer posing as a bank official, government agent, or tech support, pressuring an immediate action over voice.
A vishing call typically impersonates a bank's fraud department, a government agency, or tech support, using a confident, official-sounding tone to extract OTPs, PINs, or remote access to your device. The live, real-time pressure of a phone call - compared to an email you can pause and examine - makes vishing particularly effective at rushing victims past their own better judgment. The same core rule applies as with any scam: hang up and call back through a number you looked up yourself, never one given by the caller.
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