Did you get calls from Unknown International Numbers?

Are you getting missed calls from unknown international numbers like Burundi, Malawi, Nigeria, Tunisia, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan etc? Beware, it is one ring phone scam.

Lately, many of you and your colleagues have got missed calls from unknown numbers. It rings once and then the call gets disconnected. Sometimes, the call may also ring for the full duration. This is a scam. You should not pick such calls nor should you call back on these unknown numbers.

Why Am I Getting Calls From Countries Like Burundi, Malawi, Pakistan, Russia, Slovakia, Belarus etc.?

Well, first of all, it’s none of your fault! In all probability someone is trying to trick you and steal your money. If you get calls from phone numbers beginning with country codes of Burundi (+257), Malawi (+265), Pakistan (+92), Russia (+7), Nigeria (+234), Tunisia (+216), Belarus (+375) etc.; do not pick such calls if the number is unknown to you. These calls are part of a scam that has been in existence since early 2000s. The scam is said to be originated in Japan and it used to be called Wangiri. The word wangiriis Japanese means one ring and cut. And this is exactly what the scammers do.

How does the One Ring Scam Work?

The scammer will hire an international premium rate number (IPRN) from a local phone company. After this, the scammer will give you one ring and then disconnect the call. You will think that you missed an important call (that too a call from foreign country! it must be important! –that’s how a lot of people think). So, you will call back on the same number and your call will be taken. Usually, nobody will talk to you from the other side and you’ll keep on saying something like “hello, hello, hello, is anybody there?!“. Eventually, receiving no answer, you will get frustrated and hit the disconnect button on your mobile phone. However, by then you would have lost quite a bit of money.

Why was Money Deducted from My Phone Balance?

After the call, when you will check your prepaid phone balance, you will realize that you have lost a large sum of money for making an international call.

You might be wondering why do people make such one ring call scams? What benefit do they get out of it? Well, apparently, these scammers get their commission from the phone companies whose premium rate number they use to trick you. They may get up to $1 for every incoming call!

Hundreds of thousands of people get tricked everyday; so you can imagine the kind of easy money scammers are making. It is a nexus between individuals and some phone companies in Africa and countries of erstwhile USSR.

How to Avoid Getting Scammed by One Ring Scammers?

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