Wangiri fraud is a phone call scam whereby the scammer tries to extract money from the victims by calling from an unknown international numbers. The aim of the scammer is to make any short duration calls to trick the receiver into calling back and when he or she calls back, the calls is sent to a premium-rated number (PRN).
This callback fraud known as wangiri originated from Japan thus the name and it literally translates from the Japanese name to English “One Ring and Cut“. It’s one of the most common and popular phone call frauds affecting millions of users around the world.
The unfortunate aspect is that, most phone call fraud attempts are done with real international phone number thus making the receiver think, the caller could be a cousin, family member or business associate living outside the country not knowing it’s simply an attempt by scammers to defraud you as the longer you stay on the call, the more money the scammer makes.
About Wangiri Phone Callback Fraud
To better understand how the Wangiri phone Callback fraud or scam works, there is need to break it down incase you still don’t properly understand it;
During the callback, the scammers major aim is to keep the victims busy on the line for as long as possible. So as you are busy screaming, hello, hello, hello expecting a response from this foreign number that beeped you, the calls are directed to a real person or an interactive voice response system to extract as much as money as possible from your line.
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As we all know, most phone calls to international numbers cost a whole lot when it comes to airtime, but in this case, you wouldn’t be speaking or trying to reach a relative or someone important but simply sending expending your airtime for the scammer to feed fat.
In Wangiri, fraud, the fraudster often generates a simple beep phone calls to many phone users using a software known as autodialer. If you don’t call the number back, you won’t fall prey to the scam but I’d you do, you will incur very high charges since the call is routed to a premium-rated number. The longer you remain on the call, the more money the fraudster makes of you. So make sure you don’t call back any random international number that calls you, no matter how real the number looks.
In order to protect yourself from the Wangiri phone Callback scam, below are some of the well known steps to take to avoid falling prey to this cheap scam;
Tips to Stop Wangiri Phone Call Scam In 2023
1. Install Truecaller or any other Application or software that prevents calls from spammers. In the past, I often receive such calls and feel curious but ever since installed Truecaller, the calls don’t even reach me before being blocked. Truecaller detects when a spam call is incoming and blocks it auto automatically thus saving you from even falling prey to the scam.
As a matter of fact, this is the easiest way of preventing this Wangiri phone call scam. It takes nothing to have the Truecaller app on your device, so download it either from Play store or Apple Store and set it up.
2. Desist from dropping your phone numbers on public spaces. This is another easy target for scammers. Dropping your phone number in big groups, telegram, and social media where the users or members of such platform are not your friends or known associates, you risk receiving these scam calls. It is therefore advisable that you reduce the rate at which you post your phone number on public forums. Cyber criminals are working day and night to extract money from unsuspecting individuals and as such, you should also be at alert all the time to avoid being scammed. You know it’s really difficult to not call back a foreign number?
3. Stop calling back foreign numbers that just flash you or call you without actually waiting for you to answer the call. Wangiri is a callback fraud as previously stated, the main aim is to ignite a form of curiosity in you to call back, when you do, the scammer makes more money. So to avoid being scammed, don’t even call back.
If the foreign number wants to actually call you, he or she would either call back or put a real call i.e. The one you will answer and speak for sometime.
4. Report to your carrier – presently you can report this Wangiri phone Callback scam to your network provider. I don’t know for other networks but for MTN, you can report by either sending the screenshot of the foreign number that called and the time to fms@mtn.com
Or you can screenshot the number(s) and the time of call and send to 08032000175 on WhatsApp. Wangiri phone Callback fraud is not limited to MTN numbers, so make sure you don’t fall prey to scam!
Scammers make money when their victims are gullible, but you can avoid this by following the instructions in this article. Thanks share to others for enlightenment.
