‘One Ring’ Wireless Phone Scam Resurfaces Again in U.S., Prompting Warning to Cellphone Users

[Truth_hurts]

If you receive a call or text from an unfamiliar area code, you may want to read this first.

 

Inc.com is reporting that the “one ring scam†that has shown up periodically in the past few years has resurfaced. Scammers are using auto-dialers to call cellphone numbers across the country. They let the phone ring once, just enough for a missed call message to pop up, then hang up.

 

Frank Dorman, who works with consumer fraud and debt collection in the Federal Trade Commission‘s Office of Public Affairs, said in an email Friday that the racket â€œhas been going on for a while.â€

 

The scammers are hoping you’ll call back — and when you do, you’ll be slammed with hefty charges, both per-minute and international. If you do return the call, you’ll likely get a message that attempts to keep you on the line, something such as, “Hello. You’ve reached the operator, please hold,†according to the FTC.

 

“In the past, telephone consumers have been fooled into making expensive international calls by scam artists who leave messages on consumers’ answering machines or their email accounts.  The messages urge consumers to call a number … to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, or engage in sex talk,†the FCC wrote on its website back in 2015.

 

The calls are from phone numbers with three-digit area codes that look like they’re from inside the U.S., but are actually associated with international phone numbers — often in the Caribbean.

 

According to the FTC, the area codes include 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876.

 

Inc.com reports that there are actually three versions of this scam now:

 

• Scammer calls and hangs up before anyone answers.
  
• Scammer waits for the victim to answer and plays a pre-recorded message of someone in an emergency situation and then hangs up.
  
• Scammer sends a text message indicating that they are in trouble.
  

 

If you receive an unexpected call or text from an area code you don’t recognize, don’t answer it. Do a Google search to see where the call is coming from. If it’s someone you know, most likely they will call you back or send a text message.

 

The FTC also recommends reviewing your cellphone bill carefully and to contact your provider if there are any suspicious charges.

 

“As a general rule: Read your phone bill often — line by line. If you don’t recognize or understand a charge, contact your carrier,†the FTC says.

 

If you are a victim of the scam, file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission.

 

http://ktla.com/2017/03/13/scam-alert-beware-unfamiliar-callers-with-these-area-codes/

 

[abra]

That's why I never call back if I don't recognize the number

[*lesigh*]

I've had loads of unknown numbers in my area try to call me. I knew it was definitely a scam, but thought it was strange that most of the callers were in my area (This isn't any of the numbers listed in the OP). I tried ignoring it at first, but one time I decided to ask who it was. I heard "This is Israel" and hung up fast. Fuck that scammer shit. After that, I blocked any unrecognized numbers that tried to call me.

 

It's been more than a week since I've gotten any calls from unrecognized numbers, so I hope that's the end of it.

[Truth_hurts]

this was posted on Jan 27

 

Police Warn: New "Can You Hear Me?" Phone Scam Could Cost You A Lot

 

Police are warning cellphone users of a terrifying new scam, multiple news agencies report. The scam is brilliantly simple: all it consists of is a scammer calling from an unfamiliar number (but often one with a familiar area code) and asking, "Can you hear me?" It seems like a simple question, and most people would just answer, "Yes." In this case, however, the hacker records you saying "Yes" and then uses the response to authorize credit card or bill charges.

 

 

Click here to view the Tweet

 

 

"You say 'yes,' it gets recorded and they say that you have agreed to something," Susan Grant, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, told CBS News. "I know that people think it's impolite to hang up, but it's a good strategy."

 

While "Can you hear me?" seems to be the most popular question, scammers areusing other questions that would prompt a "Yes" response, like "Are you the homeowner?" and "Do you pay the bills."

 

Fox News provided the following tips to avoid this scam:

 

1. Do not answer the phone from numbers you do not recognize.
2. Do not give out personal information.
3. Do not confirm your number over the phone.
4. Do not answer questions over the phone.

 

If you do receive a suspicious call, authorities are advising people to hang up right away and call 911. And if you've already received a call like this, make sure to carefully monitor your credit activity!

 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/news/a42577/can-you-hear-me-phone-scam/

 

also be careful of people who ask to borrow your cell phone

[Truth_hurts]

If the same number that I don't know keeps on calling me 

I always look up the number on google before answering it 

[*lesigh*]

this was posted on Jan 27

 

Police Warn: New "Can You Hear Me?" Phone Scam Could Cost You A Lot

 

Police are warning cellphone users of a terrifying new scam, multiple news agencies report. The scam is brilliantly simple: all it consists of is a scammer calling from an unfamiliar number (but often one with a familiar area code) and asking, "Can you hear me?" It seems like a simple question, and most people would just answer, "Yes." In this case, however, the hacker records you saying "Yes" and then uses the response to authorize credit card or bill charges.

 

 

Click here to view the Tweet

 

 

"You say 'yes,' it gets recorded and they say that you have agreed to something," Susan Grant, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, told CBS News. "I know that people think it's impolite to hang up, but it's a good strategy."

 

While "Can you hear me?" seems to be the most popular question, scammers areusing other questions that would prompt a "Yes" response, like "Are you the homeowner?" and "Do you pay the bills."

 

Fox News provided the following tips to avoid this scam:

 

1. Do not answer the phone from numbers you do not recognize.
2. Do not give out personal information.
3. Do not confirm your number over the phone.
4. Do not answer questions over the phone.

 

If you do receive a suspicious call, authorities are advising people to hang up right away and call 911. And if you've already received a call like this, make sure to carefully monitor your credit activity!

 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/news/a42577/can-you-hear-me-phone-scam/

 

also be careful of people who ask to borrow your cell phone

 

I wonder if these were the kinds of scammers who were trying to call me...

[indigo]

I've had loads of unknown numbers in my area try to call me. I knew it was definitely a scam, but thought it was strange that most of the callers were in my area (This isn't any of the numbers listed in the OP). I tried ignoring it at first, but one time I decided to ask who it was. I heard "This is Israel" and hung up fast. Fuck that scammer shit. After that, I blocked any unrecognized numbers that tried to call me.

 

It's been more than a week since I've gotten any calls from unrecognized numbers, so I hope that's the end of it.

 

the route calls through a local number. I've called some of them back and gotten a random real person who is annoyed at me for calling.

 

I generally don't answer my phone unless it's a contact call these days. 

[Truth_hurts]

Scambusters.org has listed the 5 most popular cellphone scams for people to be aware of.

 

1. Subscriber fraud: This is the cellular version of identity theft. The perpetrator steals your personal details and opens an account in your name. At the end of the month, however, the bill gets sent to you, and many times it is hard to prove that you have been scammed.

 

2. Stolen or lost phones: Thieves target people with no sim code or security lock and steal the phone, sim included, to make unauthorised calls. The best action is to block or install a tracker.

 

3. Cloning: Crooks use scanners to read your cell phone identity, including the number and its unique serial number.

 

Then they program another phone with the same details and make calls at your expense.

 

4. Eavesdropping: Cellphone scammers may find it more difficult to scan for your phone ID, however they can listen in on your calls and download your phone usage records and even track your phone to know where you are or where you have been at a particular time.

 

Legal software can be secretly installed on someone else’s cell phone, making it easy for anyone to dial in and snoop.

 

Crooks can listen to your phone calls, download copies of text messages and numbers dialled, or even just silently activate the phone and use its microphone to monitor any nearby sounds or conversations.

 

People who use Bluetooth short-range radio to connect a hands-free headset to their cell phone can be targeted by nearby scammers using Bluetooth to eavesdrop.

 

Bluetooth users should un-select the “discoverable†option on their devices.

 

5. Ringtone cellphone scams: Apart from driving nearby people crazy with their awful sounds, users of downloaded ringtones could be exposing themselves to a couple of potentially costly cell phone scams.

 

Some tones — usually free or those exchanged via peer-to-peer software — have been hacked by scammers and can install a virus that either damages the phone or steals confidential information.

 

Second, you may get a text message inviting you to download a ringtone by returning another message or calling a 1-800 number. But when you do this, you may incur a hefty charge and/or unwittingly sign up for a monthly charge for services you don’t want.

 

Essentially, we carry all our personal information on pour phones. These tiny devices have history stored within them that can allow access to our homes, our offices and our bank accounts.

 

As a result, guarding your phone has become much more of a priority.

 

All a criminal has to do is get hold of your cellphone and they can literally imitate your entire online persona.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/borrow-cellphone-123555589.html

 

 

The 10 Most Common Cell Phone Scams and How to Avoid Them

 

The top tips on how to spot and avoid the 10 cell phone scams you’re most likely to encounter: Internet Scambusters #315

 

http://www.scambusters.org/cellphone.html

[A Hamster Named Loneliness]

this is why I don't answer calls from numbers I don't know. If a place I've applied to for a job is calling me for a job interview, they'll leave a voice message anyway. Scammers never leave voice messages.