RE-CAP: THE WANGIRI SCAM
Wangiri call scams
are calls from international numbers you don’t recognise and it’s a scam that
could leave you seriously out of pocket.
WHAT IS A WANGIRI
SCAM?
The word ‘Wangiri’
is Japanese and means ‘one ring and drop’. It’s
basically what’s known in the UK, as a ‘drop call’. Calls usually cut
off just as the phone rings, leaving a missed call notification from an unfamiliar
number with the intention of playing on your curiosity. If you do happen to
take the bait, you’ll be routed to an expensive, premium rate service.
Phone companies have taken the
initiative to invest in intelligence systems to proactively screen incoming
calls for fraudulent numbers and are automatically blocking numbers known to be
used for fraud.
HOW TO PROTECT
YOURSELF?
If you get an unexpected call from an
unknown, international or unusual number, here are some simple steps that you
can take to protect yourself from Wangiri fraud:
1. Don’t answer any
unexpected calls from unknown, international or unusual numbers.
2. DO NOT CALL BACK.
3. Contact your
service provider with the number you’re receiving nuisance calls from.
If you’d like to
know more about mobile phone fraud, visit Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and
cybercrime reporting centre.
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