Vishing refers to “voice phishing,” or phishing over the phone. A criminal calls a target’s phone in a vishing scam to get them to share personal or financial information. These scammers often spoof their phone numbers so they can appear to be calling from a trusted source, such as your bank or even the IRS, so they cannot be reported.

These scams often rely on social engineering tactics, such as creating a sense of urgency or fear to trick a victim into giving up sensitive information. Remember that legitimate institutions will never call you to ask for private information, such as your Social Security number or login credentials.