Vishing
Voice-call phishing where fraudsters phone you pretending to be banks, police, tech companies, or government agencies to extract money or sensitive information.
Also known as: voice phishing, telephone fraud
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Vishing (voice + phishing) relies on live phone calls or automated voice messages. Attackers exploit the immediacy and authority of a spoken conversation to pressure victims into transferring money, revealing PINs, or granting remote computer access.
Common vishing scripts include 'bank fraud department' calls claiming suspicious transactions on your account, 'HMRC / IRS' calls threatening immediate arrest for unpaid tax, 'Microsoft' or 'BT' technical-support calls claiming your computer is infected, and 'police' calls saying your bank account has been compromised and you must move funds to a 'safe account'.
Sophisticated vishers use caller-ID spoofing to display your bank's real number. With voice-cloning AI becoming accessible, some attacks now mimic the voice of a family member or colleague.
Examples
- A caller claims to be from your bank's fraud team and asks you to transfer savings to a 'safe account' they control.
- An automated message says 'Your National Insurance number has been suspended — press 1 to speak to an officer.'