Possibly, you might get a call with a convincing message to call back about something, maybe a family member being hurt, for instance. I saw a memo warning that returning the phone call could cost you thousands!Phone call scam can be costly to consumers Burlington Post By Tim Whitnell Silence can be golden … for someone else. The Better Business Bureau of Central Ontario is warning consumers to be aware of a scam that involves quick calls to cellphones with no one seemingly on the other end of the line. Missed calls from an unknown number tend to spark a person’s curiosity, the BBB says in a press release. “Most of us would like to know who called and for what reason. As digital communication evolves to make instant contact with strangers and anonymous online users easier, it seems natural to call back unfamiliar numbers. “Unfortunately, multiple reports from the U.S. and Canada have discovered that One-Ring Phone Scams have been targeting mobile phones, causing expensive charges to the user’s account.” As part of the scam, your phone rings once and as soon as you answer it the caller immediately disconnects. Your phone then shows a missed call from an unrecognized number. Anyone curious enough to return the call is then billed approximately $19.95 for an international call, depending on how long you stay on the line. “If you call, you might hear music or audio-advertising while you are unknowingly connected to a caller-paid toll service or chat-line located outside the country,” says the BBB. Fiona Dunbar, manager of dispute resolution and information services for the BBB of Central Ontario, says the scam appears to be targeting cellphone users. She said her office has not received any specific complaints to date. “We are hoping to educate the public so complaints are not generated.” Reported area codes used by callers in the One-Ring Phone Scam include the Dominican Republic (809), Jamaica (876), British Virgin Islands (284), Grenada (473) and Dominica (767), with the possibility of local area codes as well. “…. If you are expecting a call, it should be from someone whose contact information you already have and recognize. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to ignore unknown numbers. Even though you may feel you should return an unknown missed call, your curiosity could end up costing you,” stated the BBB press release. Det.-Sgt. Jeff Foster of the Halton Regional Police Fraud Unit told the Post the one-ring scam is a new one. “We have not had any reported incidents here this year. It seems to be something new…. Eventually, I foresee we will be taking reports of something of this sort, if not this exact scam, within our area shortly. “It does seem that these things do catch on quite quickly and then spread across not just Canada but North America in general,” said Foster. The BBB provided the following tips to protect against unauthorized charges on your cellphone: • When in doubt, don’t pick up or call back. If you don’t recognize an out-of-province telephone number on your caller ID, ignore it. • Keep a close eye on monthly statements and understand your mobile bill. Be sure to keep track of what services you pay for and any additional features or changes you may have added to your cellphone plan; that way you will be able to determine if any charges are unauthorized. • Add restrictions to your account. Contact your service provider to see if you can restrict third-party billing on your account. For more information and consumer tips, visit bbb.org.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 12:03:22 +0000
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