Phishing conducted by phone call or voicemail, increasingly using AI voice cloning.
Vishing uses live calls or voicemails to pressure victims in real time. A caller posing as a hiring manager, IT department, or bank exploits the immediacy of a phone conversation to extract information or push a payment before the target can verify anything.
AI voice cloning has made vishing far more convincing, letting fraudsters mimic a specific person's voice from a short sample.
Red flags
- Caller creates urgency and discourages you from hanging up to verify
- Requests codes, passwords, or payment over the phone
- Number is spoofed to look local or official
Deep-dive guide
Vishing & Deepfake Interview Scams: When the Voice or Face Is Fake
Frequently asked questions
Can scammers fake a real person's voice?
Yes. With AI voice-cloning tools, a few seconds of recorded audio is enough to imitate someone's voice, which is why you should verify unexpected requests through a separate, trusted channel.