Calls that ring once and hang up: the wangiri scam

Calls that ring once and hang up: the wangiri scam

Your phone rings once, you look at the screen and the call has already ended. The number is unknown, sometimes with a strange international code you don't recognise. The instinct is to ring back: what if it was something important? That instinct is exactly what the person on the other end is after. It's the missed-call scam, known as wangiri (Japanese for "one ring and cut"), and it has worked for years because it exploits the most basic curiosity.

How wangiri works

The mechanics are simple, which is why they work:

1. An automated system calls thousands of numbers and hangs up after one or two rings, before you can answer.
2. You see a missed call from a number you don't know. Many of these numbers carry unusual international codes (+216 Tunisia, +234 Nigeria, +355 Albania, +675 Papua New Guinea...).
3. If you ring back, you're connected to a premium-rate number: recordings designed to keep you on the line as long as possible (surveys, prizes, recorded messages) while the meter runs.
4. The per-minute cost is high and part of it goes to the scammer. The bill arrives weeks later, when there's little left that's easy to claim back.

There's a variant that isn't after the cost of the call but checks that your number is live: by ringing back you confirm that the line is active and that a real person responds, and your number becomes more valuable on the lists sold on to telemarketers and scammers. It's the same goal as silent calls, except that here you're the one who makes contact.

The signs that give it away

• One ring and gone. Genuine callers let it ring; wangiri needs you NOT to answer, so it's set up to cut off.
• An international code you don't recognise. If you're not expecting calls from abroad, a code you don't know is reason enough not to ring back. Ireland's country code is +353, so a call showing any other code after the + is coming from abroad.
• Odd hours. Many batches go out in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, when you're least likely to answer and most likely to see a missed call when you wake up.
• Repeats in waves. If you get several similar missed calls within a few days, it's an active campaign, not a coincidence. In the spam numbers directory you can see which numbers other people are reporting.

What to do (and not do) about a suspicious missed call

The right response fits in three steps:

1. Don't ring back. If it were important, they'd call again or leave a voicemail. No bank, public body or serious company works by ringing once and hanging up.
2. Check the number before doing anything. Look it up in the spam numbers directory: wangiri reuses numbers for days, so other people may already have reported it, with the code and the trick identified.
3. Block and report. If you confirm it's wangiri, your report turns your missed call into a warning for the next person.

And what not to do: don't ring "just to see who it was", not even for one minute out of curiosity. A minute on a premium-rate number is enough to be charged, and the recording is designed to stop you hanging up straight away.

Can I be charged for a call I didn't answer?

No. Receiving a call and not answering it never costs you anything, whatever country it comes from. The wangiri risk lies only in ringing back. Likewise, answering one of these calls in time doesn't cost you anything while you're in Ireland (the caller pays); the danger starts if they ask you to ring another number "to continue". That's the same trap with an extra step.

Quick questions

What if I rang back without realising? Hang up as soon as you suspect something, check how long the call lasted and contact your phone provider (Vodafone, Three, eir or whoever you're with) to ask about the cost and whether they can bar international or premium-rate calls on your line. If the charge has already gone through, complain to your provider in writing; if that gets nowhere, you can take it to ComReg, the communications regulator. Be aware that a refund isn't guaranteed.

Does blocking the number help? Against that particular number, yes. But campaigns rotate numbers, so blocking only goes so far: the real protection is the habit of not returning unknown missed calls with strange codes.

Does this only happen on mobiles? No, it reaches landlines too. If older people at home use a landline, it's worth leaving a note beside the phone: "missed call from a strange number = don't ring back". It's also worth sharing our step-by-step guides with them.

If you've had one of these missed calls, look it up in NoCall's spam numbers directory and report it: every report helps the next person who sees that number on their screen to know they mustn't ring back.