A foreign number is ringing me: what to do and how to block it

A foreign number is ringing me: what to do and how to block it

Your phone lights up with a number that doesn't start with +353 or 08: it's +44, +1, +234, +216, +62 or a code you don't recognise. You don't know anyone in that country and you're not expecting any call. It might be a legitimate company with a call centre abroad, a wrong number or a scam. The golden rule: don't ring back numbers you don't recognise, and never give personal or bank details to someone who rings you from abroad unexpectedly. Here's why and what to do.

Why am I getting calls from abroad if I don't know anyone there?

• Mass dialling. Automated systems ring thousands of numbers at once, including yours, to find active lines or bait victims.
• Wangiri (one-ring calls). The phone rings once and stops, hoping you'll ring back a high-cost international number.
• Scam call centres abroad. Fake investment advisers, fake tech support, fake bank or courier calls are often run from other countries.
• Spoofed numbers. The number you see may not be the real one. Scammers can display a foreign number, or even an Irish one, while calling from somewhere else entirely.
• Legitimate reasons. Companies with call centres abroad, contacts travelling, a delivery driver with a foreign SIM, or a relative calling from a UK number.

Does it cost money to answer an international call?

If you're in Ireland, receiving a call on your mobile is generally free, whatever country it comes from: the caller pays. Not answering costs nothing either. The same applies when you're travelling in another EU country, thanks to "roam like at home". Outside the EU, receiving calls while roaming can cost money depending on your plan: check with your operator.

The real financial risk is in ringing back or dialling a number they read out to you. Some international ranges carry very high rates: satellite networks, special international services, or numbers in countries with high termination charges. A common trick is to use codes that look familiar: +1, for example, isn't only the United States and Canada; several Caribbean countries share it too, and a call to those destinations can cost far more than you'd expect.

What are the warning signs?

• It rings once and hangs up, especially late at night or several times in a row.
• A recorded message asking you to press a key or ring another number.
• An urgent story: a parcel, a prize, a relative in trouble, a problem with your bank.
• Requests for personal or banking details or codes you receive by text.
• A number similar to yours or from a country you have no connection with.
• Insistence: the same number calling several times a day.

What should I do right now?

1. Don't ring back an unknown foreign number. If it's important, they'll leave a message or contact you another way.
2. If you answer, say little. Don't confirm your name, address or any details, and don't follow instructions from a recorded message.
3. Hang up if they ask for money, details or codes. No bank, Garda or government body will ask for these on an unexpected call from abroad.
4. Look up the number before doing anything. Check the spam numbers directory to see whether others have already reported it, and use our dialling code guide to see which country it belongs to.
5. Block it if it calls again, and report it so other users are warned.

How do I block calls from abroad?

There's no universal button to block a whole country, but you can combine several layers:

1. Block specific numbers. On iPhone and Android you can block any number from your call history. It helps, even though campaigns change numbers often.
2. Silence unknown callers. iPhone lets you silence calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts, and many Android phones have a spam filter or an option to block unknown numbers in the Phone app settings. Silenced calls still appear in your log.
3. Ask your operator. ComReg's scam calls advice recommends contacting your provider and asking for a number that persistently calls you to be blocked. Many operators can also bar outgoing calls to international or premium-rate numbers: if you never ring abroad, this means nobody at home can rack up a big bill by returning a scam call.
4. Use a caller ID app. NoCall shows you whether an incoming number has been reported by other users before you answer.

ComReg, the communications regulator, has also worked with operators on technical measures to block more scam calls and texts before they reach you. But no filter is perfect, so the habit of not returning unknown calls is still your best protection. ComReg also suggests saving the numbers of friends and family abroad in your phone, with the country code, so you recognise them.

What if I already rang back or gave my details?

• If you rang back: check your next bill or your credit balance. If there's an unusual charge, contact your operator, explain what happened and ask about barring premium-rate and international calls. If you're not satisfied with the response, use its complaints process, and after that you can go to ComReg.
• If you gave bank details or codes: ring your bank immediately on the official number (on your card or in its app) and ask them to block cards and watch your account.
• If you gave personal details: be alert to follow-up calls, texts or emails using that information to seem credible.
• If you've lost money: report it to the Gardaí at your local Garda station, with the number, the time and any receipts.

Where do I report it?

• Your operator, to block persistent numbers or dispute charges.
• An Garda Síochána, at your local station, if you've lost money or shared sensitive details.
• NoCall, in the spam numbers directory.

The CCPC's list of common scams covers the most frequent scams reaching Irish phones.

Frequently asked questions

Is every call from abroad a scam? No. Many are legitimate. But if you're not expecting it and don't know the country, be cautious: don't ring back and don't share details.

They called from a +353 number but it sounded foreign. Is that possible? Yes. Numbers can be spoofed, and legitimate companies also use call centres abroad. What matters is what they ask you for, not the number.

Can answering expose me to a charge? Not normally in Ireland or when roaming in the EU. The cost comes from ringing back or dialling numbers they give you.

Should I answer and tell them to stop calling? It's better not to answer. Answering confirms your number is active and may bring more calls.

In short

An unexpected call from abroad isn't necessarily a scam, but it deserves caution. Don't ring back, don't share details, check the number on NoCall and block it if it insists. Ask your operator to bar premium and international calls if you don't use them. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory so others are warned.