Network provider PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) have issued a warning to customers about the rise in vishing, or phishing conducted over voice calls.
This warning follows a reduction in SMShing — phishing through SMS — after the companies activated a more advanced network firewall.
“Criminals are quick to adapt. Now that our new firewall has made it harder for them to send text scams, they now resort to calling customers on their mobile phones or via over-the-top apps to lure them into revealing critical personal data,” said Jojo Gendrano, SVP and CISO at PLDT and Smart.
Vishing, a form of social engineering, involves fraudsters convincing victims to divulge personal details such as login credentials, account numbers, and credit card security codes. To increase their credibility, scammers may address their targets by name and create a sense of urgency, warning of account closures or offering enticing deals like credit card upgrades. More sophisticated schemes have even involved the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the voices of acquaintances, further tricking victims into believing the calls are legitimate.
Once the criminals acquire the necessary information, they can take over the victim’s account, deplete their savings, or make unauthorized transactions using the stolen credit card details.
PLDT and Smart implemented their new network firewall in July, blocking up to 30 million malicious texts in a single day. While this has led to a significant drop in SMShing incidents, the shift to vishing underscores the ongoing challenge of protecting customers from evolving cyber threats.