Today, as constant technological innovations are introduced to the public on an almost daily basis, auto dialers in particular sometimes fall into the wrong hands. Auto dialers are typically used to send out a message to a large group of people, however sometimes this technology is utilized to try and perform online identity theft scams.

Vishing is a combination of voice and phishing. According to a recent article, the scammer sets up an auto dialer and when the phone is answered, a pre-recorded message is played that tells the customer that his/her credit card has had illegal activity and the customer should call the recorded phone number immediately.

Then when the customer calls the number, it is answered by a computer-generated voice that tells the customer they have to enter his/her 16-digit credit card number to check if fraud has been committed. Once the customer begins to follow the outlaid instructions, the customer gives away extremely personal details like their date of birth, passport number and mother’s maiden number, thinking they are following the proper procedure.

An ICICI Bank spokesperson stated, “Do not leave any personal or account details on any telephone system that you are directed to. When a telephone number is given, you should first call the phone number on the back of your credit card or on your bank statement to verify whether the given number actually belongs to the bank.”

Although auto dialers are meant to be used to simplify the process of sending your desired message to the masses, some continue to take advantage of this new technology in potential scams.