Cell Phone Users Beware of Deliberately Misdialed Phone Numbers Generate Illegal Income for Scammers The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) is a division of the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On Feb.13, IC3 issued a public service announcement warning of a scam which uses automated “spoofing software” and “call generators” to send telephone calls to a high volume of United States cell phone numbers. Typically, the phone will only ring once. The recipient’s caller ID feature shows the call apparently originated from a high cost international number, often starting with an area code beginning with the numeral “8.” The cell phone recipient calls back the number, believing he or she has missed an important message, and is greeted with a message stating “Hello, you have reached the operator, please hold.” The longer the caller stays on the line, the more income is generated for the originator of the call. How does this scam work? Recipients do not realize they are calling an international number and they will be billed for the international call which they have initiated to respond to the original false message. Recipients of these calls incur no charges for having received such a phone call. However, when their curiosity is piqued and they initiate a return call, they are liable for the charge. Once they are on the line, the original caller needs only to trick the cell phone owner into staying on the line to generate profits. Rates in these countries, typically Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat and others, are much higher than phone rates in the United States. These countries’ phone numbers are part of the North American Phone Numbering Plan, and do not require the international designator “011” to be dialed as with other international calls. Thus, North Americans assume they are direct dialing long distance calls and are unaware of the international rates until their phone bill arrives weeks later. Many businesses that provide their employees with cell phones also become victims as their employees use the company-provided cell phone to return the calls. In order to avoid becoming the victim of this scam, do not directly dial or initiate a return call to numbers you do not recognize, particularly if the call stopped after one ring. Remember you will not be charged for having received such a call. Once you initiate a return call, however, you will be charged for initiating the call and any subsequent time you stay on the phone. Companies not doing business in this area of the world may wish to further insulate themselves by blocking the area codes of the above countries to avoid this scam.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 14:25:28 +0000
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