An overseas number is calling me: what to do and how to block it

An overseas number is calling me: what to do and how to block it

Your phone rings with a number starting with a code you don't recognise: +44, +234, +225, +880, +1... You don't know anyone there and you're not expecting anything from overseas. Maybe it rang once and stopped, maybe it rang at 3am. New Zealand numbers start with +64 (or a leading 0 when dialled locally: mobiles usually begin with 02, landlines with 03, 04, 06, 07 or 09), so anything else stands out. In most cases, the safest thing is not to answer and never to call back. Here's why, and what to do.

Why am I getting calls from overseas when I don't know anyone there?

• A missed call designed to make you call back (wangiri). It rings once and hangs up. If you call back, you may be connected to a premium-rate or expensive international number, and the scammers earn a share of the cost while they keep you on the line with music or recordings.
• Checking for active numbers. Silent calls, or calls that hang up as soon as you answer. They mark your number as "live" so it can be sold on to other lists.
• Scams with a person on the line. Someone (or a recording) pretending to be your bank, a courier, tech support, an investment adviser or a recruiter.
• Spoofed numbers. The number on your screen may not be the real one. Callers can display almost any number, overseas or local. The country code doesn't tell you where the call is really coming from.

Does it cost money to answer an international call?

Answering a call on your mobile in New Zealand usually doesn't cost you anything; the risk is in calling back an overseas or premium-rate number, or in what you say or do during the call. If you're travelling overseas with roaming on, answering can cost you, so check your provider's roaming rates.

What are the warning signs?

• One ring and they hang up, or repeated missed calls at odd hours, such as the middle of the night.
• A code from a country you have no connection with.
• Silence when you answer, or a recording asking you to press a key or "call back on this number".
• Urgency and pressure: "your account will be blocked", "your parcel is on hold", "final notice".
• Requests for details or codes: passwords, PINs, card numbers, the code you've just received by text.
• They ask you to install an app or visit a website to "verify" something.
• Job or investment offers you never looked for, often followed by a WhatsApp or Telegram message.

What should I do right now?

1. Don't call back a missed call. If it was important, they'll call again or leave a message. No serious company works by ringing once and hanging up.
2. If you answer and weren't expecting the call, don't give any information. Not your full name, date of birth, bank details or codes. Don't press keys a recording asks you to.
3. Hang up and check for yourself. If they say they're your bank, a company or a government agency, hang up and call the official number on its website, your card or your bill.
4. Look the number up first. Check the spam numbers directory to see whether others have already reported it.
5. Block the number from your phone's call log.
6. Report it so the next person who sees it on their screen knows what they're dealing with.

How do I block calls from overseas?

1. Block specific numbers. On iPhone and Android you can block any number from your recent calls. It helps, although campaigns change numbers often.
2. Silence unknown callers. iPhone has "Silence Unknown Callers", and many Android phones have a spam filter or an option to block unknown numbers. Calls from people in your contacts still come through.
3. Ask your provider about call barring. Many providers (One NZ, Spark, 2degrees and others) let you bar outgoing calls to international or 0900 premium-rate numbers. If you never call overseas, turn it on: then even an accidental call back can't run up a bill.
4. A caller ID app. NoCall shows you whether an incoming number has been reported by other users before you answer, which helps you decide in seconds.

What if I've already called back or given my details?

• You called back. Hang up as soon as you're suspicious. Check the call's length and cost in your account, and call your provider to ask about the charge and about barring international and premium-rate calls. If you've been charged and the provider won't help, you can complain in writing and, if it isn't resolved, take it to Telecommunications Dispute Resolution (TDR).
• You gave bank details or a code. Immediately call your bank's official number (on your card or in your app) to block cards and transactions. Change your internet banking and email passwords.
• You installed an app they asked for. Disconnect your phone from the internet, uninstall the app and, if it had remote control or access to your banking, contact your bank and get the phone checked.

Where do I report it?

• The National Cyber Security Centre: report scam calls to the NCSC. If it was a text, forward it free to 7726, the Department of Internal Affairs' scam-text service.
• NZ Police: if you've lost money or your details have been used, report it on 105 or through the 105 online service on the NZ Police website, with screenshots and receipts.
• 111: only for a genuine emergency, such as a threat to your safety.
• Your bank, always through its official number, if there are transactions you don't recognise.

Consumer Protection's Scamwatch has more advice on spotting and reporting scam calls.

Frequently asked questions

Can they steal money just because I answered? No. Answering alone doesn't give anyone access to your money. The risk comes from calling back premium numbers, sharing details or codes, or installing apps.

Why do they always call from the same country? Campaigns use batches of numbers from particular countries or ranges, often because of cost or regulation. But numbers can be spoofed, so the country code doesn't prove where the caller is.

What if the number shown is a New Zealand one but the caller talks about another country? It may be spoofed, or a scammer using a local number to seem trustworthy. Apply the same rules: give nothing, hang up and check for yourself.

Is blocking a whole country code a good idea? It can help if you never get legitimate calls from that country, but some phones and apps don't support it, and scammers can switch codes. Combine it with silencing unknown callers and barring outgoing international calls.

In short

An unexpected overseas number is usually best ignored: don't answer if you're not expecting it, never call back a one-ring missed call, and never give details or codes. Block the number, ask your provider about barring international and premium-rate calls, and if you've lost money, call your bank and report it. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory.