Phone company can block outgoing calls to ‘One Ring’ scam

Scam phone calls are nothing new, but how can you block a number that won’t give up?

While most smartphones have the function to block unwanted numbers for you, it’s harder to block numbers or phones which are not smartphones.

It has now become increasingly common to hear of suspicious phone calls from far-off countries, which involves fraudsters dialling numbers from places like Liberia and immediately hanging-up.

The scam lies in the hope that they will be called back, whereupon the unassuming called will then be routed to a premium rate number, overseas, and billed a large sum of cash to listen to a pre-recorded message.

The ‘One Ring’ scam is often referred to as Wangiri, the name by which it is known in Japan – it means ‘one and hang-up’. The number is recorded as a missed call on the prospective victim’s phone, who may well dial the ‘missed’ number of some high-priced chat-line.

What to do when you’ve had enough of Liberian and Antiguan prank callers?

Vodafone corporate senior executive Kim Dalli suggests smartphone users not only to block a number, but also see whether the phone can alert users to incoming scam calls. Even if blocking a number is not supported by the smartphone, there are specific apps from the Google or Apple store that enable the function to block numbers.

But non-smartphones might not have the faculty to block these calls and unfortunately, providers like Vodafone cannot stop incoming calls for you.

However, Dalli said Vodafone can stop its clients from calling the scam number by blocking outgoing calls. “Vodafone is unable to stop incoming calls, but it can stop its clients from calling the scam number by blocking outgoing calls,” Dalli said.

And when various people complain about the same number, Dalli said that Vodafone usually block outgoing calls to the particular number. This way, no one would be able to call the number in question.

Vodafone keeps a list of all the numbers that it has blocked through an internal process, and passes on the information to the Malta Communications Authority for their reference.

A Facecrooks alert also mentions the 268 area code (Antigua), but a number of other country codes have been linked with scams taking advantage of ‘pay-per-call’ numbers, including Belarus (375), the British Virgin Islands (284), the Dominican Republic (809), Grenada (473), Latvia (371) and Jamaica (876).