New missed-call scam is hitting Australia right now

[Banjo]

New missed-call scam is hitting Australia right now

After sweeping Ireland and New Zealand in recent years, this phone scam is permeating Australia. It’s simple, effective and could be very costly to you.

The scammers phone your mobile number from Slovenia, Liberia, Mauritania, Tonga, Vanuatu or Morocco (or somewhere else exotic) and hang up without giving you time to answer. Like most of us, you are curious to see who called you and you can’t resist the urge to call back. If you have a pre-paid number it is likely your monthly call credit will be drained. Got a post-paid? Be prepared for a very large bill.

The scammers have set up a premium toll number, which charges you at an exorbitant rate, reportedly up to and sometimes exceeding $8 per minute!

What can you do if you receive such a call? The steps are simple.

Do not answer
Block this caller
Be wary of multiple calls being received from the same number
Do not call back any number that leaves you a blank voicemail message
Do not provide any personal information, for example banking details, Medicare number, credit card details, name, address, passport number, etc.
If you are expecting an overseas call, Google the number to identify the country before calling back.

This scam has been nicknamed ‘Wangiri’ which is a Japanese term meaning ‘wan’ for ‘one’ and ‘giri’ for ‘cut’. So, something like ‘one ring and cut’.

There are some Australian websites you can use to check the number. Numberlookup.com.au — it is a community driven site so it can provide information only if the community submits their experiences. There are also some apps you can install to help you set your own levels of security and block these callers in the future. Have a browse in your Google Play Store or iPhone App Store for ‘Who Called Me’.

Are you confident you would be able to identify a scam phone call to your mobile? Have you been caught out in a scam before?

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startsat60.com/opinion/blogs/wangiri-missed-call-phone-scam?pr=e9b392508b1af186d4337b45714924cdb3c9d902074e&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily-sas-mar-15th-2018-15032018pp01

[zingzingzing]

Yup been happening for awhile now:
www.sbs.com.au/news/missed-call-australian-phones-flooded-by-wangiri-scam
globalnews.ca/news/4012633/mysterious-missed-calls-on-cellphones-part-of-world-wide-scam/

[mspurple]

There are a lot of phone scams happening which is rather unfortunate for those who do not know about them and assume that everyone only uses phones for genuine reasons.

I never answer numbers I do not know. I check all unknown and unexpected numbers up on google to see if they are numbers that have been reported or listed as scammers. Usually I find that they have been listed as nuisance callers of one description or another. If they have not been listed then I still do not call the number back.

The people who do these sorts of scams tend to prey and rely on your good will and manners. They know that most people will assume that anyone calling you is a genuine caller, they also know that most people will call back any missed callers they have had to their number. These horrid scammers know that most most of us are trusting of others and they use this trust against us.

Thankfully for me, one of the first scam calls I got was many years ago and they stuffed it up pretty bad which immediately gave me the heads up that they were not genuine callers. I kept them on the phone believing I was hooked with the crap they were feeding me. I had fun stuffing them around by playing dumb while they tried to get my details. At the end of the call I assured them I had just saved some poor soul from being scammed and that I would pass their number on to the police and that what they were doing was disgraceful. They tried to put it to me from their side, which was basically that they are in need of money and some people are so stupid and greedy that they happily compromise their own safety by being greedy and that deserves to be preyed on. They just did not see it the same way that most of us do. Needless to say that they were much more polite and friendly at the start of the call than they were at the end. I can totally understand how some people get tricked by these scammers, some of them are rather convincing. It all seems to be like a game or a joke to these evil selfish people.

[Banjo]

While some tend to admire the more daring Robin Hood type criminals the truth is that most victims of crime are the poorest in society.

[itsmylife08]

My Wife got hit by a similar scam in the Philippines recently, she got a text offering this great deal and to avail of it please press the link, which she did and PH600 later you get the message, grrr

[nomadic]

money is the root of all evil. I heard this 60 years ago and still true today.

[Banjo]

Mar 16, 2018 18:45:04 GMT 7 nomadic said:

money is the root of all evil. I heard this 60 years ago and still true today.

I think you will agree with the quote as it was originally made Nomadic.

"Love of money is the root of all evil". Timothy 6:10

[nomadic]

i think it is Mammon without google. The god of money who many worship. Some more so than others.

[shermos]

We get scam calls at least once every couple of days. I just let the phone ring out for numbers I don't know these days.

[Deleted]

I keep getting A call from a 03
But every they call its a different No

[Deleted]

I answer most unrecognisable numbers nowadays but; if they won't speak to me after identifying myself twice, I hang up. I am rather enjoying wasting their time, telling them nothing and taking them nowhere. Isn't that what they're gainfully employed to do? Call; and Live in Hope of jaggin' a livey!

I never never ever call back though. Cheers bear 

[Denis-NFA]

Mar 20, 2018 13:05:44 GMT 7 shermos said:

We get scam calls at least once every couple of days. I just let the phone ring out for numbers I don't know these days.

LOL

My land line phone is maybe 2 to 3 paces away.

I never hear the thing ringing anyway.

If anyone in the house doesn't want to answer they give it to me.

I shout "WHO'S TALKING"

"YOU WANT WHAT".

Far outski

Send me an email.

[nomadic]

when i am bored i enjoy keeping them for as long as possible as bear said wasting their time. string them along and then at least you are saving someone else's time. nothing but horrid b's they are.

[krystal]

I used to do the same. Keep "Microsoft Support" on the line for 30 minutes before telling them I'm running a Linux system

Now I just blow my umpires whistle down the phone.


With the mobile scams there is one:

"In each case, you are told to call the 0809 number right away.

If you call from the UK, U.S, Australia or Canada, you will apparently be charged a minimum of
$2,425 per minute. "

ouch !!