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Who’s calling now? That number doesn’t ring a bell. Hold the phone, says the Federal Trade Commission. You could be a potential victim of the growing "one-ring” cell phone scam.
Here’s how it works: Scammers are using auto-dialers to call cell phone numbers across the country. Scammers let the phone ring once — just enough for a missed call message to pop up.
The scammers hope you’ll call back, either because you believe a legitimate call was cut off, or you will be curious about who called. If you do, chances are you’ll hear something like, “Hello. You’ve reached the operator, please hold.” All the while, you’re getting slammed with some hefty charges — a per-minute charge on top of an international rate. The calls are from phone numbers with three-digit area codes that look like they’re from inside the U.S., but actually are associated with international phone numbers — often in the Caribbean. The area codes include: 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876.
If you get a call like this, don’t pick it up and don’t call the number back. There’s no danger in getting the call: the danger is in calling back and racking up a whopping bill.
If you're tempted to call back, do yourself a favor and check the number through online directories first. They can tell you where the phone number is registered.
If you’ve been a victim of the “one-ring” scam, try to resolve the charges with your cell phone carrier. If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
And as a general rule: Read your phone bill often — line by line. If you don’t recognize or understand a charge, contact your carrier.
I’ve got to go now; my cell phone is ringing.
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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.
In reply to I don't know this number they by mitchmudder
In reply to 786-204-4358 just called and by no robo
In reply to I've been getting calls from by Rebelrising
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In reply to You can block the entire area by Lilly
In reply to You can block the entire area by Lilly
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In reply to Get Android phones and put by Baffled
In reply to You don't need an android by PhilZone
In reply to You don't need an android by PhilZone
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In reply to they called my iphone and my by SMITH
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In reply to You can block numbers on the by InfoMan
In reply to So with Iphones, you add the by MakesSense
In reply to So with Iphones, you add the by MakesSense
In reply to So with Iphones, you add the by MakesSense
In reply to So with Iphones, you add the by MakesSense
In reply to So with Iphones, you add the by MakesSense
In reply to You don't need an android by PhilZone
In reply to You don't need an android by PhilZone
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In reply to I have an Andriod Phone. I by mabigailsc
In reply to You don't need an android by PhilZone
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In reply to I have an iPhone and I have by Kchandler
You can add your cell phone number to the Do Not Call Registry.
If you added your number and you're still getting unwanted calls, they could be from groups that are exempt from the list, or from scammers.
Go to donotcall.gov to add a number and learn about the Registry.
In reply to I have an iPhone and I have by Kchandler
I you have already registered on the FTC's Do Not Call List, and if after 31 days you continue to receive unwanted calls (other than charities, debt collectors, etc.), you can file a complaint with the FTC here: National Do Not Call Registry Not sure if I can paste links (personally, I wouldn't click on one posted by a stranger lol), but I think you could find the page if you searched for "FTC Complaint Assistance." They ask you questions and walk you through the process. Honestly not sure how much help they could be, but it's worth a try. Also, according to the FTC's site, the rules are the same for cell phones and landline after they have been registered on the do not call list.
In reply to You don't need an android by PhilZone
For IPhone: You don't even have to add them to contacts. Just go to the recent calls list, click on the "i" across from the #, and in the options for that #, choose block caller at the bottom.
In reply to Get Android phones and put by Baffled
In reply to I received a call on my by Phil R
In reply to I've been getting calls from by Rebelrising
In reply to I've been getting calls from by Rebelrising
In reply to I've been getting calls from by Rebelrising
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