November 13, 2026
Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, and unfortunately, so are the tactics used by cybercriminals. While most businesses are familiar with phishing emails, a newer form of social engineering is becoming increasingly concerning: vishing.
From suspicious emails and fraudulent links to convincing phone calls and AI-generated voices, cybercriminals are finding new ways to manipulate individuals into sharing sensitive information. But what exactly is the difference between phishing and vishing, and why should businesses be paying attention?
Phishing is one of the most common forms of cybercrime. It involves cybercriminals impersonating legitimate organisations, colleagues or trusted contacts to trick individuals into revealing confidential information, clicking malicious links or downloading harmful attachments.
These attacks typically arrive through emails, often designed to look like genuine communications from banks, suppliers, delivery companies or even internal departments.
For example, an employee might receive an email appearing to come from their IT department, asking them to reset their password through a provided link. Little do they know that the link leads to a fraudulent website designed to capture their login credentials or worse.
Although phishing emails have become increasingly sophisticated, many people are now more aware of the warning signs, and phishing training and testing is commonly exercised across industries. This has encouraged cybercriminals to explore alternative methods of reaching their targets.
Vishing, short for voice phishing, uses phone calls or voice messages to deceive individuals into sharing sensitive information or transferring money. Rather than relying on an email, attackers use direct conversations to build trust, create urgency, and pressure victims into acting quickly.
Imagine receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be from your company’s IT support team. They explain that suspicious activity has been detected on your account and that they need your login details to resolve the issue.
The caller sounds professional, understands the company’s processes, and appears to know exactly what they are talking about. However, they are actually attempting to fraudulently gain access to your systems.
Unlike traditional phishing, vishing gives criminals the opportunity to respond to questions, adapt their approach and make the interaction feel much more personal.
Perhaps one of the biggest developments in modern cybercrime is the use of artificial intelligence.
AI voice-cloning technology allows criminals to generate remarkably realistic copies of someone’s voice using audio recordings. This means scammers may be able to impersonate a manager, director, or even a family member.
For businesses, this creates a particularly serious risk.
Consider an employee receiving a call that sounds exactly like their managing director, requesting an urgent payment to a new supplier. The voice is familiar, the request sounds plausible, and there is pressure to act quickly.
Without the right security procedures, employees could easily unknowingly authorise fraudulent transactions.
AI can also make scam calls more convincing by helping criminals produce natural-sounding speech, adapt scripts and communicate across different languages. As this technology develops, identifying fraudulent calls simply by how they sound is becoming impossible.
