What is vishing?

Vishing, which stands for "voice phishing," specifically refers to a type of phishing attack that takes place over the phone, often using voicemail or phone calls. In vishing scams, attackers impersonate legitimate companies or organizations to trick individuals into providing sensitive information such as account numbers, social security numbers, or credit card details.

The reason why this definition aligns with the selected answer is that voicemail can be a vehicle for these attacks, where scammers leave recorded messages to lure victims into calling them back and divulging personal information or commit financial transactions.

In contrast, other types of phishing, such as those that occur through email, SMS (often called smishing), or direct contact, do not incorporate the voice component that characterizes vishing. Hence, identifying the correct modality is essential to understanding the various methods employed by cybercriminals.