Wangiri scams have been around for several years now and are effective because they rely entirely on natural curiosity. The victim receives a missed call from a number they don’t recognize. They want to know more, so they call it back and may incur unexpectedly high charges on their phone bill.
Learn more about Wangiri scams below and how to avoid them.
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What Is Wangiri and What Does It Mean?
The term Wangiri comes from Japanese and is commonly translated as “one ring and cut.” In other words, it means when someone calls you and lets the phone ring only once or perhaps twice before they hang up.
Wangiri scams use this technique to prompt the person they rang to call back. The Wangiri process works like this:
- The victim receives a call from an unknown number, sometimes with an international code.
- They don’t know why they were called, so they call the number back to find out.
- The callback connects to an international or premium-rate number that may incur high charges.
- There may be automated messages or other techniques to encourage the caller to stay on the line.
- Every second spent on the phone costs the scam victim more money.
In some cases, the scammer may leave a voicemail claiming to represent a legitimate company and urging the recipient to call back as soon as possible.
How to Avoid Falling Foul of Wangiri Scams
If you don’t recognize the number you’ve been called from, never call it back. You have no way of knowing where the number routes to or how much you might end up paying for the call.
Here are some additional tips to help you avoid Wangiri scams:
- If you think you’ve been called by a genuine company, for example, if you’ve been left a voicemail, use the company’s official channels to contact them. Head to the company’s website and look for their “contact us” information.
- Don’t assume that calls from domestic numbers are safe. Scammers may use domestic-looking numbers, so avoid calling back an unfamiliar number until you’ve checked it.
- Use a search engine to find more information about the number that has called you. In many cases, there may already be articles or reports showing that the number is from a scam caller.
Above all, don’t let curiosity get the better of you. If someone genuinely needs to reach you urgently, they may leave a voicemail or try another way to contact you. Verify any unexpected request before calling back.
Get Informed About the Latest Scams
Wangiri scams work well because of their simplicity. Scammers don’t need advanced technology to make these scams work; just an automated dialer combined with natural curiosity. Knowing these scams are out there helps you avoid them and stay safer.
For more information on how criminals target people through their phones, sign up for regular Scam Alerts emails. You’ll receive updates straight to your inbox to help you stay informed about phone-related scams and more.
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