Report: Vishing Attack Targets Skype Users

Skype users are being targeted in an ongoing voice-phishing, or "vishing," attack, according to a report by ZDNet's Zero Day blog.

Skype users reported receiving a pre-recorded call informing them that their computer had been infected with malware. In order to remove this malware users are advised to visit a site which pushes rogue AV and malware cleanup services, according to the report, by Dancho Danchev.

So-called "vishing" attacks are akin to phishing attacks and use voice messages - rather than e-mail messages or Web links - to lure unsuspecting users to malicious Web sites.

Skype users report receiving calls from unknown numbers. Pre-recorded messages tell those who answer the call that they are infected with a "fatal virus" and direct them to a Web address to get disinfected.

This is by no means the first time the enormously popular Internet phone service has been exploited to push rogue AV and/or malware. In fact, it has been less than two months since mid-March, when Skype users reported a similar scam where pre-recorded messages prompted them to a scareware page that fraudulently informed users that their computer was infected with malware.

Read more on the Zero Day blog.

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