This number called my DNC listed landline again, this time today at 1024 hours. I didn't bother answering it and they gave up after about 4 rings. When I did a whitepages search, it indicated it's not a valid number. Considering the number (except the area code) is very much like my own I suspect it is a scam artist illegally spoofing a similar number as my own.
This number called my DNC listed landline today at 1020 hours. It rang once and then the call ended. Apparently, it wasn't even my call blocker disconnecting them. After a bit of research, big surprise, the number is not valid. So obviously scam artists but it's weird that they only let it ring once before terminating the call. This is the THIRD scam artist phone call I've received already this morning, and it's not even 1030. The previous two calls, the caller ID showed -0- . Yeah, I'm really going to answer that call. Not.
If you receive a call on your cellphone preceded by just one or two rings, chances are it’s part of the new One Ring phone scam spreading across the U.S. faster than a summer wildfire.
Here’s how it works: International scammers have programmed computers to blast out millions of calls to cellphone numbers, ring once or twice, then disconnect. The objective is to make you curious enough to dial that number back.
The “gotcha” happens when you return the call. You’ll be charged $19.95 for the international call fee itself and $9 per minute thereafter. “Oftentimes consumers say they hear music and then advertising, so they think nothing of staying on the phone. It’s easy to see how quickly charges for these international calls can add up," said Shelley Polansky, vice president of communications for Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming
Consumers who have been duped by these calls report calls coming from Dominican Republic (809), Jamaica (876), British Virgin Islands (284), Grenada (473) as well as Minnesota and Canadian area codes.
If you think you’ve are a victim of the One Ring scam, you should immediately alert your phone carrier and keep an eye on your cellphone bill. If you have not already done so, opt out of all third-party billing to your phone.
This number called my DNC listed landline again, this time today at 1024 hours. I didn't bother answering it and they gave up after about 4 rings. When I did a whitepages search, it indicated it's not a valid number. Considering the number (except the area code) is very much like my own I suspect it is a scam artist illegally spoofing a similar number as my own.