They call and hang up: why it happens and what to do
Calls that hang up the moment you answer, sometimes over and over. Find out whether it's a call centre, a check that your line is active, or a scam attempt.
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They call and hang up: why it happens and what to do
The phone rings once or twice and when you answer there's nobody there, or they hang up straight away. These "ghost calls" are among the most reported: the NoCall community keeps a large database of user reports on numbers that behave like this.
1. What's behind these calls
- Autodialler — a telemarketing call centre dials more numbers than it has free agents; if nobody's available, the call drops.
- Active-line check — systems checking that your number answers, so they can call you later or sell the list.
- Wangiri — a deliberate missed call to get you to call back a premium-rate number.
2. Don't call back yet
Be careful with overseas numbers. If the missed call comes from an international code you don't recognise (anything other than +64, New Zealand's own), don't call back: the wangiri scam relies on you taking the bait and calling a pay-per-minute number.
3. Check the number on NoCall
Look the number up in NoCall's large database. If other users report the same "call and hang up" pattern, you know it isn't a call worth returning. It's the "Stop, Check, Report" habit that Consumer Protection's Scamwatch recommends.
4. Block and report
Block the number from your call history and report it on NoCall to warn other users. If the calls keep coming from different numbers, turn on automatic filtering and take a look at NoCall's tools and our situation guides. If a call turns out to be a scam, you can also report it to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Why do they call me and hang up straight away?
Most often it's a telemarketing autodialler with no free agents, or a system checking that your line is active so it can call you later. It can also be the start of a wangiri scam.
Should I call back if they ring and hang up?
No, especially if the number is overseas or unknown: calling back is exactly what the wangiri scam wants, because it connects you to a premium-rate number.
How do I stop getting hang-up calls?
Block the number, turn on your phone's spam filter and report the number on NoCall so other users know it's a ghost-call line. For telemarketing, you can also add your number to the Marketing Association's Do Not Call register. It's free for consumers, but it's voluntary: there's no government do-not-call list in New Zealand, only the association's members check their lists against it, and scammers ignore it.
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Article details
Editorial content reviewed by NoCall with practical context for spotting suspicious calls and messages.
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